This Thursday, July 16, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and I, along with staff from my Rural Business Energy Division, will have the honor to host a national stakeholder forum on the improvements to, and opportunities available, under the new Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (Section 9003), formerly the Biorefinery Assistance Program.
The forum begins at 12:30 Eastern Time. While seating is limited, you can participate via a webinar, which can be accessed at: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/789/9401.
One of the most exciting opportunities under this program is its support for the production of more renewable chemicals and other biobased products, in addition to advanced biofuels.
Thanks to the 2014 Farm Bill, loan guarantees of up to $250 million are available for the construction and retrofitting of commercial scale biorefineries and biobased product manufacturing facilities, significantly expanding financing to help more sectors of the renewable energy market.
On behalf of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, I look forward to having you join us for an informative and productive day on Thursday! One that will help USDA and its partners usher in a new era of support for America’s growing bio-based economy.