The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has extended its deadline to apply for grants to help the state’s biodiesel industry.

This press release from the department says the new deadline is Friday, December 12, 2008:

A total of $300,000 in funds is available to the owners of facilities that supply petroleum products to customers who sell, use, or transport fuel in the state of Minnesota. The facilities should be located on or near a petroleum terminal and have an infrastructure that can be designed to blend cold weather biodiesel with conventional diesel fuels. Cold weather biodiesel is a high-quality biodiesel blend that can be used successfully year-round, even in the coldest climates.

Grant funds may be used to offset the cost of necessary infrastructure equipment including but not limited to tank, pipe, valves, meters, pumps, and heating equipment plus the cost of engineering, fabrication, and installation.

Officials admit that they received no applications by the Nov. 28th, 2008 deadline… the day after Thanksgiving… but many had expressed an interest and said they just needed more time to do their applications.

More information is available at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture web site: www.mda.state.mn.us. Click on Grants, Loans & Financing.