Deadline to apply through state’s Focus on Energy program is Sept. 25, 2015.
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program, is now accepting proposals for several business efficiency programs, including one for small farm anaerobic digesters. The Small Farm Anaerobic Digester Program is offering incentives for cost-effective anaerobic digester systems to be installed and operational at small to mid-sized farms. These funds will be available through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) process.
"We're excited to offer these innovative and impactful opportunities to drive energy savings for the State of Wisconsin,” says Tamara Sondgeroth, director of operations for Focus on Energy. "We look forward to finding more critical pathways for delivering energy savings to our farms, residents, and businesses across the state."
Sondgeroth says Wisconsin leads the nation for installations of anaerobic digestion systems on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which typically have at least 1,000 cattle or tens of thousands of smaller animals. However, the majority of cows in Wisconsin are not located on CAFOs, but instead on approximately 12,000 small to medium-sized dairy farms.
"The average Wisconsin dairy farm has about 100 cattle, a size in which anaerobic digestion is still quite uncommon," she notes.
Funding for the digester program was set aside by the Public Service Commission and is intended to provide financial assistance to smaller farms that are interested in installing anaerobic digesters at their facilities.
The deadline to apply for proposals is Sept. 25. More information is available at https://focusonenergy.com/rfp-postings.