News

Michigan Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership Program Extends Grant Deadline

The Michigan Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) Program was developed as a result of a $3 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) was tasked as the grant administrator for the BIP funds. The grant funding is intended to make higher level blends of ethanol more widely available to consumers and increase the consumption of biofuels by providing funding for biofuel infrastructure in the following categories:

• E15/25 retrofits of existing gasoline pumps
• Blender pumps capable of dispensing E85, E15 and potentially other mid-level ethanol blends
• Dedicated E85 pumps
• Underground storage tanks for ethanol blends

The $3 million grant, combined with matching and in-kind funds from the MDARD, CMPM, along with private partners, makes up the fund that is available to eligible applicants. Although the deadline for applicants was originally February 5, 2016, CMPM met last week and decided to extend the deadline further into 2016. A new deadline has not yet been established, and applications will be reviewed on a first-come first-considered basis. If you are interested in and eligible for this program, submit your application as soon as possible.

The grant funding is subject to the following limitations:

1. $15,000 to retrofit an existing pump with a dedicated E15/25 pump, of which USDA will provide federal cost share percentage not to exceed 74.1 percent;
2. $35,000 for installation of a dedicated E85 pump, of which USDA will provide federal cost share percentage not to exceed 75 percent;
3. $45,000 for installation of a new blender pump, of which USDA will provide federal cost share percentage not to exceed 75 percent; and
4. $100,000 for installation of a UST, of which USDA will provide federal cost share percentage not to exceed 25 percent.

Keep in mind that, with regard to underground storage tanks (USTs), the grant money goes only for a tank (or portion of a compartmentalized tank) that contains ethanol-blended fuel (higher than E10).

More information (including the Request for Proposals document and application form) is available at http://www.micorn.org/corn-uses/ethanol/biofuels-infrastructure-program.

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