Over the last years, Sen. Coburn and his colleagues have received more $4 million in political contributions from the oil and gas industry. Although large contributions from oil companies are no secret, this amendment does show that there is more behind the amendment than simply cutting federal subsidies. As Matt Hartwig from the Renewable Fuels Associates suggests:

“This effort has more to do with oil-patch politics than it does national energy security and responsible fiscal policy.  If this were a true effort to reign in federal energy subsidies, than the tens of billions of dollars given to mature energy industries like petroleum would be included in this amendment.”

This amendment is a ploy to keep Americans at the mercy of foreign oil and rising prices while a select few reap the political and monetary benefits.  Killing ethanol investment would also mean snuffing innovation and stifling growth that can bring prosperity to many Americans.

To read more about Sen. Coburn’s amendment, click here.

For more information about the grant, visit the Grants.gov website.

To learn more about biomass, you can download fact sheets from our Bio Power page.

Breakfast Seminar – Tax Incentives and Financing Tools for Renewable Energy Projects

Description:  Attorneys Lynda Templen and Joe Pickart will discuss the many financing tools and incentives available for investing in renewable energy business projects including tax incentives, state and federal grant and loan programs, tax-exempt bond financing and angel and venture capital financing opportunities.

When: Thursday, April 22, 2010
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Where: Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1900
Milwaukee, WI 53202

R.S.V.P. by Thursday, April 15, 2010

Click here for more details.

Read more about the project in this article in Ethanol Producer Magazine.

Some small engine manufacturers, however, have expressed concerns about the bill.  As a strong supporter of small engine manufacturers and users, the WBIA has worked to highlight how the proposed bill will actually protect jobs and benefit the small engine industry.

Here are a few ways in which the bill will protect small engine manufacturers:

1.  The bill guarantees the availability of ethanol-free gasoline.

2.  The bill ensures small engine users will be able to buy gasoline with ethanol blends recommended by the manufacturer.

3.  The bill protects small engine owners, should ethanol become to expensive or scarce.

For more details, including text from the bill, download our fact sheet below.

Small Engine fact sheet [PDF]

Here in the United States, renewable fuels, like ethanol, which is almost a dollar cheaper per gallon than gasoline, are proving their commercial value by helping to keep the price of gasoline from soaring even higher.  It’s a shame that lawmakers are trying to undermine them just as they begin to show their value.

The UN report can be found at: http://www.unep.org/pdf/SEFI_report-GlobalTrendsInSustainableEnergyInverstment07.pdf

The Governor will also highlight his proposal to provide $30 million in state funding to grow the Bio Industry, and we encourage everyone to attend and show their support for Governor Doyle and Wisconsin’s growing bio fuel industry.

The US Department of Energy today announced the availability of up to $200 million in grants over the next five years (2007-2011) to support the development of small-scale cellulosic biorefineries.

Up to $15 million is expected to be available for 2007, with the remaining $185 million available for the following four years.  The DOE is expected to select 5-10 awards from this series of grants.

Applications are due by August 14 of this year.

For more information on the Funding Opportunity Announcement, "Demonstration of Integrated Biorefinery Operations for Producing Biofuels and Chemical/Materials Products" – DE-PS36-07GO97003, visit: https://e-center.doe.gov/ OR www.grants.gov.

With the first deadline just weeks away, three agencies stand by ready to help with the application process: the Wisconsin Rural Development Office in Stevens Point; Focus on Energy; and the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Focus on Energy can provide general assistance for grant applicants; trouble shoot issues; provide background and lessons learned from previous grants; provide a support letter confirming the environmental benefits of the project as well as other assistance. The Focus on Energy contact is Larry Krom at 888-476-9534. For energy efficiency applications contact Richard Hasselman at 608-273-0182.

Depending on the type of project, DATCP can provide assistance ranging from financial help with business feasibility studies to business plans. A publication on where to go for business assistance in Wisconsin is also available. The DATCP contact is Carl Rainey at 608- 224-5139.

Rural Development can help applicants go through the process; explain the forms; explain what information is needed to increase the applicant's possibility to receive funding. Rural Development will also assist with determining eligibility of applicants as well as the eligibility of the technology they would like to install. The Rural Development contact is Kelley Oehler 715-345-7610.

Applications for grants must be completed and submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office at 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point WI 54481, postmarked no later than May 18. The deadline for submitting loan applications as well as for loan and grant combinations is July 2. More information is available in the March 22 Federal Register or by contacting the Rural Development State Office at 715-345-7610.