STEVENS POINT, Wis., Oct., 29, 2020 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wisconsin Rural Development State Director Frank Frassetto announced that USDA has invested $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales. These funds were made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to recipients in 14 states. The initial $22 million in HBIIP investments are projected to increase ethanol demand by nearly 150 million gallons annually.
“These investments will give consumers more choices when they fill up at the pump, result in more demand for American farmers and deliver more affordable fuel prices for Wisconsinites,” Frassetto said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, we have been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural Wisconsin in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
In Wisconsin:
- BP Kenosha Travel Plaza LLC will use a $378,000 grant to replace and install 20 dispensers and a storage tank at two fueling stations in Kenosha. This project is estimated to increase ethanol sales by 1.6 million gallons per year.
- Smart Station Ventures LLC will use a $54,000 grant to replace six dispensers at one fueling station in Monroe. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 550,000 gallons per year.
- Cambeck Petroleum Corp will use a $367,000 grant to replace eight dispensers and one storage tank at one fueling station in Janesville. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 740,000 gallons per year.
- Roettgers Company Inc will use a $251,000 grant to replace nine dispensers and five storage tanks at five fueling stations in Brown Deer, Wauwatosa, Mequon, Thiensville and Milwaukee. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 420,000 gallons per year.
- Casey’s General Store Inc will use a $5 million grant to replace 346 dispensers at 70 fueling stations in 13 states. One fueling station in Beloit, Wis. will receive an upgrade. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 19.6 million gallons per year.
USDA plans on announcing the remaining HBIIP investments in the coming weeks.
The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program helps transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities convert to higher ethanol and biodiesel blends by sharing the costs related to the installation of fuel pumps, related equipment and infrastructure.
Eligible applicants are vehicle fueling facilities, including, but not limited to, local fueling stations/locations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities, fuel terminal operations, midstream partners and/or distribution facilities. Higher biofuel blends are fuels containing ethanol greater than 10 percent by volume and/or fuels containing biodiesel blends greater than five percent by volume.
For more information on USDA’s HBIIP Program, visit the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program web page.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/wi, call us at 715-345-7600 or email wi-rd-stateoffice@usda.gov.
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