Alternative Energy Development Grants
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allocated funds to Montana to further the development of renewable energy. Some of this funding focused on renewable technologies that have been developed and are proven, but that remain underutilized or not yet available in Montana.
Funded Projects:
The following projects are under contract.
Core Wind Power, Inc., $500,000, for a 3 megawatt direct-drive wind turbine to be built in Ronan.
Algae Aqua Culture Technology, $350,000 for a commercial-scale greenhouse system that will grow algae to break down wood waste for an organic fertilizer. The algal system will also produce methane through anaerobic digestion of the waste wood, which will be used for mechanical power at a Columbia Falls sawmill.
Opportunity Link, $125,000, for a partnership to develop a regional market and to demonstrate B-20 biodiesel in a switch locomotive at the BNSF yards in Havre.
Earl Fisher Biofuels, Chester, $25,000, for oilseed crushing equipment to maximize yields that should result in lower prices for biodiesel.
Up to $1 million will be distributed through the State Energy Program (SEP) of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to these above applicants. A competitive Request for Applications process was used. Emphasis was on projects that would further the commercialization of renewable energy technologies, including energy storage systems that support renewable energy generation. Successful projects will lead to developing markets for further application of the technology within Montana.
Funded projects will increase the number of jobs. Increases in energy efficiency will decrease demand for fossil fuels. Projects should help transform markets by causing lasting change in the structure or function of a market or the behavior of market participants. At least 25 percent of the total project cost must be matched with non-federal funds.
This was a highly competitive funding opportunity. Eligible applicants for grant funding were drawn from private entities — for-profit and nonprofit — licensed to conduct business in the state of Montana.
For more information on renewable energy in Montana, visit the site at Energize Montana.
Updated: July 27, 2011
