09.11.15

Hoeven Announces North Dakota Selected for Grants through USDA Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership

As Governor, Hoeven Started ND Blender Pump Program, New Grant Will Support about 90 Biofuel Pumps

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Agriculture, today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected North Dakota as one of 21 states to receive grants through the agency’s Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) program. Hoeven, then-governor, first launched the state’s blender pump program in 2009, resulting in 200 pumps being installed. As senator, Hoeven has continued to champion biofuels infrastructure. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and 2014 farm bill conferee, he supported authorization of biofuels programs, and this year he weighed in on the BIP program with USDA on the state’s behalf. USDA estimates the grants will support an additional 90 pumps in the state.

“North Dakota is blessed with a wide variety of available energy resources, and for more than a decade, we have worked through our initiative, EmpowerND, to develop all of those resources to produce more energy with greater environmental stewardship,” Hoeven said. “Today’s announcement from USDA will continue an important part of that effort, our blender pump program. That will help fuel providers cover the costs of installing biofuel infrastructure, which will give consumers greater choice at the pump and lower the cost of fuel.”

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