USDA is offering funds through their Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to provide support for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance that will allow agriculture producers and rural small businesses to become more energy efficient and use renewable technologies. For all projects, the proposed system must be located in a rural area, must be technically feasible, and must be owned by the applicant.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and can be up $100,000. Recipients of an energy audit are required to pay at least 25% of the cost of the audit. The application deadline is June 30, 2011 and more information regarding this program can be found Here.

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) have grant funds to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products. The projects funded through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) funds projects that integrate science and engineering research in the following three technical areas that are critical to the broader success of alternative biofuels production:

• Feedstock Development
Funding will support research, development and demonstration activities for improving biomass feedstocks and their supply, including the harvest, transport, preprocessing, and storage necessary to produce biofuels and biobased products.
• Biofuels and Biobased Products Development
Research, development and demonstration activities will support cost-effective technologies to increase the use of cellulosic biomass in the production of biofuels and/or biobased products. Funding will also support the development of a wide range of technologies to produce various biobased products, including animal feeds and chemicals that can potentially increase the economic viability of large-scale fuel production in a biorefinery.
• Biofuels Development Analysis
Projects will develop analytic tools that improve the sustainability, environmental quality, cost effectiveness, security, and rural economic development of renewable biomass technologies. Funding will also be used to develop new tools to better evaluate the impact of expanded biofuel production on the environment and to assess the potential of using federal land resources to sustainably increase feedstock production for biofuels and biobased products.

Pre-applications are due on May 31, 2011 and must be submitted electronically. It is anticipated that applicants who are encouraged to submit full applications will be notified by August 3, 2011.

For more information visit DOE's website or USDA's.