Director Terry Brunner
USDA News:
Albuquerque – USDA Rural Development State congratulated AGPower Field Processing I, LLC for its commitment to begin the construction of a facility which will address a major environmental issue with cattle manure while at the same time producing bio-energy and bolstering Chaves County with new jobs.
“Dating back to 2007, USDA has been working in Chavez County to bring a dairy-based biomass facility on-line and we are glad to see this new facility become a reality,” Brunner said.
In 2007, USDA Rural Development provided a $50-thousand Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) to the Pecos Valley Biomass Cooperative. The financial support was used to pay for a feasibility study to see if it was possible to turn the area’s cow manure into biomethane, which then could be sold to the nation’s gas industry. Since that time AGPower acquired the Pecos Valley Biomass Cooperative and the work to make this project become a reality continued.
Brunner added, “It’s exciting to see this renewable project falls in line with the goals set by the Obama administration to provide additional opportunities to create independent energy products while at the same time cleaning the environment, and producing good jobs”
Construction for the Chaves County project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed by next summer.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as the Department implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act.
USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.
