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Biofuels Grant Programs
Through the Office of Sustainable Development, the City of Portland offered two separate grant programs designed to help make high blends of biofuels more readily available in Portland. At this time, both of these grant programs are closed, and the City of Portland does not expect to award future grants through this program.
Biofuels Investment Fund ** Note: With the award of the Biofuels Investment Fund grants listed below, the fiscal year 06-07 funding cycle is closed.
The Biofuels Investment Fund supports the development of infrastructure to enhance the production, storage, blending and distribution infrastructure for biodiesel blends of 20 percent (known as B20) or higher, and ethanol blends of 85 percent (known as E85), as well as non-infrastructure projects that seek to further the development of Oregon-grown feedstock supply chains.
In December of 2006, the City of Portland made a total of $450,000 available through a competitive grant process known as the Biofuels Investment Fund with a maximum grant amount for any project of $225,000.
Fourteen proposals, requesting a total of over two-million dollars were received. An evaluation committee made up of representatives from the City of Portland, Portland Development Commission, Oregon Community & Economic Development Department, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Environmental Council and local fuel distributors, reviewed and scored each proposal. The following five projects were selected to receive grant funding:
Oregon State University (OSU) - Corvallis, Oregon: OSU will work to develop cropping system practices that reduce the risk and lower the input costs of growing the oilseed crops of canola and camelina for Oregon farmers. A steady reliable acreage base for oilseeds is one of the first steps in building a biodiesel industry in Oregon. Through test-plot trials, OSU will investigate planting and fertilization methods to enhance the production of these important crops. The information and recommendations generated by this project will be invaluable to farmers who are interested in expanding the production of these feedstock crops in the future.
Madison Farms - Echo, Oregon: The installation of two new 10-ton canola crushers and an infrared spectrometer will expand the K&S Madison Oilseed Crush Facility’s efficiency and capacity, enabling them to produce an additional 250,000 gallons of canola oil per year. This project furthers the development of Oregon-grown biodiesel feedstock supply chains and supports the growth of a farmer owned facility that enables farmers to share ownership throughout the value chain of their commodity. Madison Farms currently produces alfalfa, corn, canola, potatoes, pasture, green peas, snap peas, grass seed and wheat on an average of nearly 8,000 acres of farmland each year.
Portland Biodiesel - Portland, Oregon: Portland Biodiesel is currently developing a biodiesel production facility in North Portland that will use waste cooking oil from the Portland area as feedstock. By expanding the size of the production tank farm (reaction tank, wash tank and storage tank), Portland Biodiesel will have the additional capacity needed to more than triple their initial production capacity within the first year (from 300,000 to nearly one-million gallons per year). Portland Biodiesel’s facility will likely be the first commercial biodiesel processor located inside the City of Portland.
Carson Oil Company - Portland, Oregon: Carson Oil is one of the largest diesel and biodiesel suppliers in the state. By installing a high-speed injection blending rack, Carson Oil will be able to fill multiple tanker trucks and fuel trailers with any blend of biodiesel at a rate of over 500 gallons per minute. This project will dramatically improve the ease, efficiency and cost effectiveness of storing, blending and distributing biodiesel in the Portland market.
SeQuential Biofuels - Portland, Oregon: SeQuential Biofuels plans to construct a gas station in Portland dedicated solely to the sale of ethanol and biodiesel blends. Not only will this project make high blends of biofuels readily available to the public, it will also highlight Portland’s commitment to renewable fuels, energy independence and emission reductions.SeQuential Biofuels is currently Oregon’s only commercial biodiesel producer, using used cooking oil from companies like Burgerville and Kettle Chips, as well as canola from Eastern Oregon farmers. SeQuential’s biofuels gas station will provide a direct avenue for Portland residents to fill their cars with a fuel that is made in Oregon, from Oregon feedstocks.
Retail & Fleet Biofuels Infrastructure Grant
The Retail & Fleet Biofuels Infrastructure Grant provided incentives of up to $10,000 to install or convert fueling equipment at retail gas stations and fleet fueling sites to biodiesel blends of B20 or higher, and ethanol blends of E85. Incentives were available on a first-come, first-served basis to projects that meet the grant’s eligibility guidelines. Funds are no longer available for this grant program.
Download the Grant Application (PDF File) |
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