WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new investments in 33 states to support the production and usage of advanced biofuels. Vilsack highlighted these projects as ways the Obama Administration is working to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil by creating alternative energy sources and promoting economic development and job creation.

"The Obama Administration is working aggressively to bring greater energy independence to all of America by promoting the production of renewable energy in rural communities," said Vilsack. "This funding will help the nation's advanced biofuel industry produce more fuel from sustainable rural resources, and in doing so create jobs, a new revenue stream for agriculture producers and stimulate rural economies across the nation."

Authorized under Section 9005 of the Farm Bill, the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels authorizes payments to eligible producers to expand production of advanced biofuels. Payments are based on the amount of advanced biofuels a recipient produces from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Eligible examples include biofuels derived from cellulose, crop residue, animal, food and yard waste material, biogas (landfill and sewage waste treatment gas), vegetable oil and animal fat. To find out more about the program click here.

The producer payments are intended to provide a financial incentive to biorefineries – a necessary step towards meeting the nation's renewable energy needs. The following is a list of biofuels producers that have received funding under USDA's Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. Recipients of payments less than $500 are not listed.

Alabama

• Greenlight Biofuels, LLC; $13,211.40

Arkansas

• Futurefuel Chemical Company; $384,227.34
• Pinnacle Biofuels, Inc.; $14,165.71

Arizona

• Pinal Energy, LLC; $943,335.07

California

• Imperial Western Products, Inc.; $38,865.18
• American Biodiesel, Inc.; $6,753.89
• Yokayo Biofuels, Inc.; $5,859.88
• New Leaf Biofuel, LLC; $4,432.73
• Energy Alternative Solutions, Inc.; $3,010.99
• Imperial Valley Biodiesel, LLC; $1,410.26

Florida

• Agri-Source Fuels, LLC; $5,009.97
• G2 Energy, LLC; $1,518.14
• Bio Fuel Consultants of North America; $1,413.92

Georgia

• Nittany Biodiesel; $138,905.11
• U.S. Biofuels Inc.; $74,906.71

Hawaii

• Pacific Biodiesel, Inc.; $6,104.86

Iowa

• Renewable Energy Group, Inc.; $695,014.53
• Western Iowa Energy; $210,509.52
• Western Dubuque Biodiesel, LLC.; $178,926.98
• Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC.; $152,758.89
• Central Iowa Energy, LLC; $80,571.13
• Sioux Biochemical, Inc.; $9,847.05
• Maple River Energy, LLC; $6,871.08

Idaho

• Coeur D'alene Fiber Fuels, Inc.; $143,714.77

Illinois

• Incobrasa Industries, Ltd.; $205,444.30
• Nova Biosource Fuels, Inc.; $169,084.23

Indiana

• Louis Dreyfus Agricultural Industries, LLC; $1,431,051.17
• E Biofuels; LLC; $117,063.13
• T And M Limited Partnership; $21,653.72
• Indiana Flex Fuels, LLC; $3,642.07

Kansas

• Western Plains Energy, LLC; $598,783.49
• Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, LLC; $581,640.12
• Kansas Ethanol, LLC; $486,701.08
• Arkalon Ethanol, LLC; $467,792.37
• Bonanza Bioenergy, LLC; $187,789.02
• Reeve Agri Energy, Inc.; $106,073.10
• Trenton Agri Products, LLC; $92,298.42
• Nesika Energy; LLC; $73,422.90
• East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC; $24,332.67
• Ese Alcohol; $12,475.41
• Healy Biodiesel, Inc.; $3,724.69
• Emergent Green Energy, Inc; $1,199.54

Kentucky

• Owensboro Gran Company, LLC; $401,187.10
• Griffin Industries, Inc.; $12,186.11

Maine

• Woods Pellet Company, LLC; $163,125.84
• Corinth Wood Pellets, LLC; $124,732.86

Michigan

• Scenic View Dairy, LLC; $7,207.58
• Michigan Biodiesel, LLC; $967.80
• Hillside Farms, LLC; $559.64

Minnesota

• Minnesota Soybean Processo; $398,974.45
• Cargill Inc.; $189,937.58
• Corn Plus, LP; $128,658.66
• Fumpa Biofuels; $18,191.73
• Chippewa Valley Ethanol Coop, LLP; $6,037.27
• West River Dairy LLP; $3,438.06
• Riverview; LLP; $2,816.57

Missouri

• Paseo Cargill Energy, LLC; $406,424.07
• Mid-America Biofuels, LLC; $379,513.20
• Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation; $213,891.03
• Prairie Pride, Inc.; $94,305.08
• Show Me Energy Cooperative; $31,376.12
• Natural Biodiesel Plant; LLC: $18,978.80
• Global Fuels; LLC; $9,696.39

Mississippi

• Scott Petroleum Corporation; $74,894.29

North Carolina

• Triangle Biofuels Industries, Inc.; $6,452.38
• Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, LLC; $5,437.92
• Blue Ridge Biofuels, LLC; $3,992.71
• North American Bio-Energies; $2,926.64

North Dakota

• Archer Daniels Midland Company; $271,577.19

Nebraska

• Chief Ethanol Fuel; Inc.; $949,018.35
• Ag Processing Inc.; $492,319.06

Nevada

• Bently Biofuels Company; $5,876.05

New York

• MST Production, Ltd.; $58,122.77
• TMT Biofuels LLC.; $1,218.77

Ohio

• Bridgewater Dairy, LLC.; $1,430.58
• Arlington Energy, LLC; $1,198.81

Oklahoma

• High Plains Bioenergy, LLC.; $232,360.50

Oregon

• Sequential-Pacific Biodiesel; $17,127.18
• Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc.; $518.73

Pennsylvania

• Lake Erie Biofuels, LLC; DBA Hero Bx; $275,742.88
• Middletown Biofuels; LLC; $12,350.12
• Soy Energy, Inc. Dba Custom Fuels, Inc.; $2,385.54

Tennessee

• Sunsoil, LLC; $1,982.92

Texas

• White Energy, Inc.; $1,022,026.02
• Green Earth Fuels Of Houston; $509,386.90
• Levelland/Hockley County Ethanol, LLC; $304,897.19
• RBF Port Neches, LLC; $99,993.77
• Beacon Energy (Texas) Corporation; $48,984.17
• Double Diamond Energy, Inc.; $6,144.39
• New Energy Fuels, LLC; $3,825.80

Virginia

• Virginia Biodiesel Refinery, LLC; $16,462.34
• Chesapeake Custom Chemical Corporation; $8,772.75
• Red Birch Energy; $4,643.47

Vermont

• Berkshire Cow Power, LLC; $1,486.51
• Green Mountain; Dairy, LLC; $647.57

Washington

• Gen-X Energy Group Inc.; $139,112.56
• Imperium Grays Harbor LLC; $138,003.31
• GDR Power, LLC; $11,399.45
• Whole Energy Fuels Corporation; $7,519.53
• Inland Empire Oilseeds; LLC; $5,651.29
• FPE Renewables, LLC; $4,928.03
• Standard Biodiesel, USA; Inc.; $2,270.97
• Qualco Energy; $1,099.39
• Farm Power Rexville; LLC; $786.68

Wisconsin

• Badger Biodiesel, Inc. ; $136,286.64
• Stargest Power, LLC; $8,206.84
• Norswiss Digester, LLC; $8,135.53
• Buckeye Ridge Renewable Power; LLC; $7,418.55
• Sun Power Biodiesel, LLC; $6,383.07
• Holsum Dairies, LLC; $4,860.78
• Walsh Bio Fuels, LLC; $4,695.01
• Best Biodiesel Cashton, LLC; $4,337.21
• Green Valley Dairy; LLC; $4,043.74
• Norm E Lane, Inc.; $1,597.34
• Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy, LLC; $1,442.81
• Bio Blend Fuels; $1,393.71
• Quantum Dairy, LLC; $1,212.23
• Statz Brothers, Inc.; $1,033.10
• Clover Hill Dairy, LLC; $967.29
• Grotegut Dairy Farm, Inc.; $752.48

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of 6,100 employees located in the nation's capital and nearly 500 state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of nearly $142 billion in loans and loan guarantees.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).