Forest Biomass to Carbon-Negative Biofuels Pilot Program

Program funds are being awarded through a competitive solicitation, in two phases:1) Planning (Phase 1): A maximum award of $500,000 per awardee, and up to $4,000,000 total, to support technology demonstration and planning activities that simultaneously manage catastrophic wildfire risks, address rural economic development, and develop carbon negative fuels.2) Implementation (Phase 2) anticipated for 2024: Awards between $10 ‐ 20 million, up to a maximum of four awards, to establish facilities that will produce carbon negative biofuels. Phase 2 will be open to any applicant, including those that did not receive or apply for Phase 1 funds. Applicants who received Phase 1 funding are not guaranteed Phase 2 funding and will need to apply for such additional funding. Phase 1 Eligibility: All applicant types – including local government, tribal nations, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses and corporations – are encouraged to apply. Projects eligible under this solicitation must be designed to create carbon-negative hydrogen and/or liquid fuel from forest biomass waste in the Sierra Nevada. Based on legislatively defined program requirements, planned projects must meet the following minimum criteria to be eligible for funding:a. The project must use 60% or more forest biomass waste as feedstock, sourced from the Sierra Nevada.b. A majority of the capital expenditures associated with an integrated project, including the processing facility and associated infrastructure, must be located within the Sierra Nevada, with transparent reasoning provided by the applicant.c. All projects receiving grant funding shall identify a California use of the hydrogen or liquid fuel to be created.d. The fuel produced must be carbon negative on a life cycle basis, meaning that the greenhouse gases (GHG) sequestered must exceed the GHGs emitted from the project. The DOC anticipates that the geologic sequestration of biogenic CO2 (often referred to as “carbon capture and sequestration,” or CCS), the co-production and use of biochar as a soil amendment, and co-production of durable products are potential pathways to achieve carbon negativity.

Eligibility

• Programs related to infrastructure
• Programs related to conservation

Award details

Applications close on October 31, 2022.

Categories

Community Economic · Facility Improvement · Infrastructure · Sustainability