Bill > S2183

This bill amends existing agricultural legislation to enhance support for community wood facilities and forest product manufacturing. Specifically, the bill renames the Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Grant Program to the Community Wood Facilities Grant Program and makes several key changes: it increases the maximum grant amount from $35,000 to $50,000, raises the maximum federal grant limit to $5,000,000, expands the program's focus from woody biomass to primarily forest biomass processing and manufacturing, and increases the energy production threshold from 5 to 15 megawatts of thermal energy. The bill also increases the federal cost-share from 25% to 50% and raises authorized funding from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Additionally, the bill modifies the Wood Innovations Grant Program to emphasize expanding forest products manufacturing, allowing for construction, use, or retrofitting of facilities, and adjusting federal cost-sharing provisions. These changes aim to support rural communities, promote forest product industries, and potentially improve local economic opportunities in forestry-related sectors.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2183/all-info