USDA awards $11.5 million to 14 ethanol producers

Fourteen ethanol producers from Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas will receive payments through the USDA's Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels program, the agency announced Oct. 31. Payments are calculated based on biofuels produced from renewable biomass, other than corn starch.

"This funding will help local producers increase the production and availability of renewable energy and thus help our nation begin to reduce its reliance on foreign oil," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Just as importantly, USDA's support will help to further develop the nation's growing biofuels industry and generate green jobs and economic growth."

Ethanol production from sorghum qualifies, according to the National Sorghum Producers. Also on the list of producers that will receive payments are biodiesel and pellet producers as well as anaerobic digestion units. “Advanced biofuels are produced from renewable biomass crops such as cellulose, sugar and starch (other than ethanol derived from corn kernel starch), hemicelluloses, lignin, waste materials, biogas, butanol, diesel-equivalent fuel, sugarcane, and nonfood crops such as poplar trees or switchgrass,” the USDA website says.

Here’s a listing of the ethanol producers that will receive payments:

Arizona

Pinal Energy LLC: $70,643          


Indiana

Central Indiana Ethanol LLC: $120,490


Kansas

Arkalon Ethanol LLC: $1,711,257

Bonanza Bioenergy LLC: $900,458

Ese Alcohol: $49,670

Kansas Ethanol LLC: $1,440,213

Nesika Energy LLC: $220,960

Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy LLC: $874,943

Reeve Agri Energy Inc.: $416,123

Western Plains Energy LLC: $899,861


Missouri

Abengoa Bioenergy Corp.: $1,138,787


Nebraska

Kaapa Ethanol LLC: $2,829


Texas

Levelland/Hockley County Ethanol LLC: $514,881

White Energy Inc.: $3,146,733