Friday, Oct 28 2011 3:58PM

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund anaerobic digester projects in several states.

The projects will be funded through the Rural Energy for America Program, in states including Idaho and Oregon. Anaerobic digesters are used for waste management and the reduction of greenhouse gas and farm pollution emissions while supporting renewable energy production and low energy costs.

"Since its creation this program has assisted almost 9,600 small businesses, farmers and ranchers and created or saved an estimated 15,000 jobs" said Vilsack. "It also provides producers with new opportunities to diversify revenue and make American agriculture and rural small business more competitive."

Grants will be awarded to finance up to 25 percent of an energy project's costs, while loans may come in larger amounts. More than 20 grants and loans have been announced already. This program combines green infrastructure development with a rural focus to encourage economic development.

It also represents what may be a major step in ongoing efforts to reduce pollution without causing difficulty for farms and other businesses. A single biodigester is projected to produce 3.3 million kW hours of renewable energy each year, although the size of projects will vary somewhat.

For further reference, check out this source: The U.S. Department of Agriculture