Anaerobic Digestion Initiative

Applications for all USDA NRCS programs are accepted on a continuous basis with application batching dates set regularly. The application batching date has not yet been established for Fiscal Year 2013 Anaerobic Digestion Initiative. Batching dates will be posted here when they are established.

An anaerobic digester can provide a variety of benefits to a farming operation, and to the environment Full screen view

The NRCS New York Anaerobic Digestion Initiative is a subset of the Anaerobic Digestion Pilot for the states of New York, Wisconsin and New Mexico. As a participant of this voluntary program, you can be eligible to receive financial assistance to help you apply an anaerobic digester on your farm. A digester will help you;

• control odors
• reduce pathogens and weed-seeds
• prepare the manure for facilitated solid separation, further treatment, or recycling back to the land

This conservation practice will also;

• reduce odors for the community
• enable improved water quality by enhancing the nutrient management plan
• and reduce greenhouse gasses

Farmers throughout New York that are ready to build a digester, have or will complete their Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) and are eligible for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) may apply.

New York State Pre-qualification Screening for Anaerobic Digestion to Advance from Application to Ranking

1. An economic feasibility study has been completed and approved by Rural Development (RD) and or New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
2. A CNMP with a detailed Manure and Wastewater Handling Plan including a schematic of the planned system is complete;
3. Any practices required by the CNMP to address water quality issues on the tract where the digester will be located will be included in the application;
4. A conference has been held with potential funders (RD, NRCS, and NYSERDA, others if applicable) to delineate the EQIP role; Insures that these investigations have been made. RD’s Rural Energy Assistance Program (REAP) can grant 25 percent of total project cost, but not for the same things EQIP pays for. So different scenarios need to be discussed, with rough numbers attached so the farmer can decide how to proceed. NYSERDA Fund grants are not dependant on federal funds. Department of Energy (DOE) funds cannot be used with other Federal funds.
5. A funding plan is developed that shows total costs and how EQIP dollars spent, including a letter from any lenders committing support for the project (commitment may be conditional on other funding);
6. A site survey has been completed;
7. A plan is in place for engineering and construction management (an engineering firm has been contacted and designer and construction manager has been selected). NRCS cannot engineer these projects and engineering will cost greater than $50,000, so this will require that an engineering firm has been contacted and the applicant has factored in the cost.

In addition, for projects producing electricity:

8. Application for interconnection has been submitted to utility;
9. Where electricity is to be produced, there is a commitment from an entity to buy the energy, or a Section 248 Certificate of Public Good for net-metering.

How to Apply for USDA-NRCS Conservation Programs

Learn what steps you will need to take to prepare for, and submit, your application to become a USDA-NRCS Conservation Program participant.

Learn more information on the criteria required to become an eligible EQIP applicant.

Financial Assistance Payment Rates

Information about payment rates will be available when a sign up is announced.

For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center, or visit the USDA-NRCS Web site.

If you encounter problems with this Web page, please contact the Webmaster at 315-477-6524.

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