Biogas plant to get nearly $1 million from federal government | MLive.com
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Biogas plant to get nearly $1 million from federal government Print Melissa Burden | Flint Journal By Melissa Burden | Flint Journal on February 27, 2009 at 7:30 AM, updated February 27, 2009 at 7:38 PM View/Post Comments
Note: The date and time stamp on this article have been updated from its original post 12:21 p.m. February 26, 2009. Additional details, information and elements were added. FLINT, Michigan -- It looks like the city's much-hyped biogas plant is on the way to securing nearly $1 million in additional funding -- this time from the federal government. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed an appropriations bill that includes $951,500 to help fund the project, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint. "We've got a lot of great plans for this money and we've been working and pushing very hard to secure this funding," said Kettering University Provost Michael Harris. And this latest injection may not be the end of funding for the plant, which is expected to be operating by year's end. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which is also involved in the project, has not been approached about financial support "but we'd certainly be open to considering that," said foundation spokeswoman Marilyn LeFeber. Swedish Biogas International has partnered with the city, state and Kettering to open a biogas plant at the city of Flint's wastewater treatment plant in Flint Township. The federal funding measure still needs approval from the U.S. Senate and President Barack Obama, but Alec Gerlach, a spokesman for Kildee, said that he is "optimistic" the biogas project funding will be approved. Flint Journal extras Biogas plant
file:///C|/...lant%20to%20get%20nearly%20$1%20million%20from%20federal%20government%20%20%20MLive.com.htm[12/29/2013 5:33:01 PM]
Biogas plant to get nearly $1 million from federal government | MLive.com
• What: A partnership among the city, state, Swedish Biogas International and Kettering University to convert human waste into biogas. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is also involved with the project. • Where: At the city of Flint's wastewater treatment plant in Flint Township. • When: The plant should be operating by the end of 2009. • Cost: Up to $10 million. "The funding is going to be used within the community and specifically supporting the activities of Kettering to advance the commercialization of biogas and its use in the community," said Martin Dober, vice president of new markets for the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The MEDC asked for the funding about a year ago. The $8-million to $10-million project already has secured $4 million in state funding and up to $3 million from Swedish government agencies. In the project's first phase, human waste will be converted into biogas, which will be used to heat the facility. Partners hope to upgrade the biogas into biomethane to fuel vehicles in a second phase. The federal funding could be used for professional development, new faculty, adapting vehicles to run on biomethane and lab capacity to research more effective and more economical ways to produce biogas, Harris and Dober said. View/Post Comments
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