The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is developing a new program, the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program, authorized by the Budget Act of 2014 (Chapter 25, Statutes of 2014). CDFA was appropriated $12 million dollars from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to provide financial assistance for the installation of dairy digesters in California which will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA will administer the program in two phases, beginning with Phase I, Dairy Digester Development and Phase II, Research.
An estimated $11 million in competitive grant funding will be awarded to provide financial assistance for the implementation of dairy digesters that result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and provide other environmental benefits (Phase I). An estimated $500,000 will be made available for research and demonstration projects that improve the economic performance of dairy digesters (Phase II).
Three public stakeholder meetings have been scheduled in November 2014 to explain the new program and to receive comments and suggestions. These public meetings will be held on the following dates and at the following locations:
Thursday, November 6, 2014 – 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
University of California Cooperative Extension Stanislaus County
3800 Cornucopia Way
Room: HI
Modesto, CA 95358
Monday, November 10, 2014 – 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of California Cooperative Extension Tulare County
4437 S. Laspina Street (Across the street from World Ag Expo)
Room: Tulare County Agricultural Building Auditorium
Tulare, CA 93274
Thursday, November 13, 2014 – 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
California Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street
Room: Auditorium
Sacramento, CA 95814
The meeting on November 13 will include a webinar to allow remote attendance. More information about this program will be available at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/EnvironmentalStewardship/Dairy_DigesterS.html