RICHMOND, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Sites in Culpeper and Harrisonburg are among 10 in the Commonwealth including in a new $2.6-million grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, or HBIIP. USDA says the fund is part of an effort to increase availability of domestic biofuels in six states, and offer more affordable fuel options for Americans.

Sheetz Inc. will use the funds to install 103 E15 dispensers, 74 E85 dispensers, 12 B20 dispensers, 41 E15 retrofitted dispensers, 2 ethanol storage tanks, and 1 biodiesel storage tank at 40 fueling stations in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The Virginia portion is part of an overall $239-million USDA investment funding through the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels not only strengthens our energy independence but also spurs economic growth by creating new revenue for businesses operating in rural Virginia,” said Perry Hickman, USDA Rural Development Virginia State Director. “That revenue directly benefits working families who need access to good paying jobs to remain in these communities.”