The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 29, 2024, that it is awarding $39 million in grants to U.S. business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 18 states and provide cleaner, more affordable fuel options. USDA will also make $200 million available through the new Biobased Market Access and Development Grants made possible by Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds. According to USDA, the awards and funding are made possible through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and the Biobased Market Access and Development Program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda with funding from CCC and President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

USDA provides HBIIP grants to fueling station and distribution facility owners, including marine, rail, and home heating oil facilities, to help expand access to domestic biofuels. Through the investments announced on October 29, 2024, USDA “is expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels that will strengthen energy independence, create new revenue for American businesses and bring good-paying jobs to rural communities.” According to USDA, the projects will help business owners install and upgrade infrastructure such as fuel pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks.

USDA states that it will use previously transferred CCC funds to create the Biobased Product Market Development and Access Grant Program “to support innovative biobased technologies and bridge the gap between pilot-scale demonstrations and commercial viability.” The funding will be available to applicants who have been accepted into the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program and is being funded through the reallocation of unobligated CCC funds from 2020.