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Applications are available for Florida's
Farm to Fuel Grants Program, according to Florida Agriculture and
Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson. The 2007 Florida
Legislature appropriated $25 million for the grants program to
provide matching grants for demonstration and commercial projects,
as well as research and development relating to bio-energy projects
in Florida.
Earlier this year, Bronson and the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded $15 million to
eight organizations as part of the Renewable Energy Technologies
Grants Program for projects that generate or utilize other
renewable energy resources, including hydrogen, biomass and solar
energy.
The Farm to Fuel Grants Program centers on
the production and distribution of renewable energy from
Florida-grown crops, agricultural wastes and residues, and other
biomass. It will award $3 million for research, development and
demonstration projects, and the remaining $22 million for
commercial bio-energy projects.
"Florida is poised to become a national
leader in the production of renewable energy," Bronson said. "In
order to do so, however, the state must assist our researchers and
entrepreneurs in moving forward, particularly as it relates to new,
emerging technologies. The Farm to Fuel Grants Program, in
conjunction with DEP's Renewable Energy Technology Grants Program,
will go a long way toward Florida diversifying its energy portfolio
and reducing its dependence on other states and nations for energy
and fuel supply."
Applications for the Farm to Fuel Grants
are due by 5 p.m. Fri., Oct. 26. Projects will be evaluated based
on a number of different criteria, including cost-share percentage,
economic development potential, and the extent to which the project
produces bioenergy from Florida-grown crops or biomass. Eligible
applicants include municipalities and county governments,
established for-profit companies licensed to do business in the
state, universities and colleges in the state, utilities located
and operating within the state, and not-for-profit
organizations.
For a copy of the grant guidelines,
application and other relevant information, go to
http://www.FloridaFarmToFuel.com.
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