USDA awards REAP grant to Western Iowa Energy
January 23, 2024
BY Erin Voegele
The USDA on Jan. 22 awarded Iowa-based biodiesel producer Western Iowa Energy an $88,936 grant under the agency’s Renewable Energy for America Program to support a project that will reduce energy costs at the facility.
The grant will support the installation of a full voltage conditioning unit to protect equipment from power surges, correct voltage distortion and remove electrical noise. The project is expected to save $49,781 in energy costs per year and save 576,254 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy per year, which accounts for 13 percent of previous use and is enough energy to power 53 homes.
The project funded at Western Iowa Energy is one of 675 projects that will share in $157 million in REAP funding announced by the USDA on Jan. 22. A full list of projects is available on the agency’s website.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Related Stories
CoBank latest quarterly research report highlights current challenges facing the biobased diesel industry. The report cites policy uncertainty and trade disruptions due to tariff disputes as factors impacting biofuel producers.
The U.S. EIA on April 15 released its Annual Energy Outlook 2025, which includes energy trend projections through 2050. The U.S. DOE, however, is cautioning that the forecasts do not reflect the Trump administration’s energy policy changes.
The Michigan Advanced Biofuels Coalition and Green Marine are partnering to accelerating adoption of sustainable biofuels to improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions in Michigan and across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reduced its 2025 forecasts for renewable diesel and biodiesel in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released April 10. The outlook for “other biofuel” production, which includes SAF, was raised.
FutureFuel Corp. on March 26 announced the restart of its 59 MMgy biodiesel plant in Batesville, Arkansas. The company’s annual report, released April 4, indicates biodiesel production was down 24% last year when compared to 2023.
Upcoming Events
