Maryland opens animal waste-to-energy program
By Anna Simet, Biomass Magazine.
The Maryland Energy Administration has opened the application window for its Animal Waste-to-Energy Grant Program, which will make investments in projects that utilize animal waste to generate electricity, with a focus on reducing environmental impacts of animal waste on state natural resources.
Last year, the state funded two animal waste technology projects totaling $1.8 million, the bulk of which was awarded to Clean Bay Renewables of Maryland to construct and operate a 2-MW manure-to-energy plant in Somerset County.
This year, MEA has made up to $2 million available for the program. There is no participation cap or set number grantees, but participants must provide a cost share of at least 50 percent. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, and at the discretion of an evaluation team made up of MEA staff members, consultants from other government agencies and other institutions or organizations.