photo credit: Erik Charlton

The government is now making an extensive drive of promoting the use of alternative fuels specifically the biodiesel. The government and the private sectors alike are now working hand and hand to make the move to alternative fuels realizable. Both have their own contributions in the development of the alternative fuels. Most of their projects are focused on the developments of the biodiesel and other alternative fuel technologies. But with the lack of information and cooperation from the ordinary people, these projects are moving at slower paces. They need the help of the people in order to see some lights in their projects for their success lies on the people as users and makers of the needed resources. And to attract more people to support the project, the government is giving grants such as the biodiesel grant to all the supporters of the project.

The biodiesel grants give special grants or rewards to biodiesel producers. The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in particular gives small grants worth $3,000 for those who are interested in producing biodiesel. The NCAT is an organization that helps the people and the community to adopt the new technologies that help save energy and other resources. The group also gives the same grant amount to the farmers who raise crops that can be used as good sources of the oil needed in making biodiesel. These grants are also open for projects that deal in the development of biodiesel and discovery of new biodiesel formulas.

If you are a farmer and you want to shift into planting of crops for use in biodiesel, you can use the said biodiesel grant to support your farming needs. You can avail of the special projects of the government and other sectors regarding the development of biodiesel fuels.

Not only the farmers and the biodiesel developers benefit in these grants. In Florida, one of their public bus systems-the Lynx now uses biodiesel on their 290 units. This move by the company from using diesel fuels to the use of biodiesel-blended fuels was given recognition by the government. In fact, the Florida Renewable Energy Grants Program has given them a two-year biodiesel grant worth $2.5 million. With this grant amount and to support heir own consumption of the biodiesel, the Lynx has built its own blending station. Their station will also serve as a medium for the biodiesel and demonstration projects in their area aside from supporting their own fuel needs. Their station is capable of replacing 1.2 million gallons of diesel with cleaner and renewable fuel. The grant given to the Lynx has made their transition easier and at the same time it gave them the resources for their maintenance.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about biodiesel grants, please visit Alternative Fuels Today for current articles and discussions.

photo credit: samdaq (AT) hotmail

To the surprise of many, the government tries to modify our behavior through monetary strategies and the same is true for promoting green construction. In this case, we are talking about funding a green project.

There are numerous sources for the funding of green project research and construction. They exist on the National, State, and local level. They include grants, tax credits, and loans. The important thing to understand when you begin a search for a source of funding is that the government and society in general is very anxious to assist you with your green project. We are not just waking to the global dangers. Our leaders are already wide awake and know that green construction is an essential element of the future health of our nation. They want to help, particularly on the state level.

The central clearing house for Federal Programs is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). This website based catalog gives information of all federal programs that supply funds to state agencies, local agencies, and non-profit organizations. They also list programs that are available to private developers and even individuals. This catalog can be accessed online and application made online as well.

There are over $400 billion dollars offered in over 1,000 Federal Grant programs. These programs are all listed and explained on the grant [dot] gov website. In addition to full information, application forms for the grants can be downloaded from the site, and the final submission can be entered there as well. Grants are not as easy to get as some people think, but they are possible. They also have the major advantage over loans and other funding sources because they do not have to be repaid in most cases.

There are several national green construction funding opportunities. One is the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Obviously, this office is interested in Energy Efficiency in building construction use and also of the use of renewable energy sources. They will provide funding for research and the demonstration of these two things in green construction. Green Communities is a five year and $555 million dollar initiative to build a total of 8,500 environmentally health houses for low income families.

There are also several Foundations dedicated to green construction funding. The Home Depot Foundation is one, and another is the Kresage Foundation. There is help available on the State and local level also. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is one example of a State level resource. There are also a large number of local based incentives as well. Green construction is an interesting meeting between those looking for funding and those agencies willing to provide it.

Zack Verde is with GreenBuildingCompanies.com – providing information on green construction.