Green Business Fund hands out grants

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s the press release:

(DURHAM) — Thirteen North Carolina companies will receive up to $100,000 each from the new North Carolina Green Business Fund. The fund is designed to help small businesses develop green and alternative energy technologies.

Creation of the Fund was approved by the General Assembly in 2007. The legislation allocated $1 million for the first round of grants.

A total of 85 small businesses with fewer than 100 employees filed applications seeking nearly $7 million in funds. The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Board of Science and Technology is responsible for administering the program.

Blue Ridge Biofuels of Asheville has been awarded $77,737 to develop a method to convert low-quality fatty acids into biofuels. Organofuels of Asheville received an $81,944 grant to manufacture an algae-based fuel for gasoline engines.