The Budget Act of 2022 (SB 154, Chapter 43) appropriated $48 million from the California State Budget to CDFA for methane emissions reductions from dairy and livestock operations, which was split evenly for distribution through the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). In addition, the Budget as amended by Assembly Bill 179 (Ting, Chapter 249) appropriated $20 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to CDFA for AMMP. CDFA awarded half of these appropriations for the 2023 grant solicitation and expected remaining funds from the appropriations to be made available through AMMP and DDRDP in 2024. However, the Budget Act of 2024 (AB 107, Chapter 22) transferred the remaining half of funds for livestock methane reduction ($24 million) to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, allocated as $17 million in FY 24-25, with an expected $7 million in FY 25-26. Given current budget circumstances, please be aware awards and final grant agreements for 2024 AMMP applicants are contingent upon funding being available. If the expected $7 million is appropriated in FY 25-26, it will be applied to the 2024 AMMP and DDRDP grant rounds as originally intended. Approximately $17.4 million will be available for the 2024 AMMP, which includes an allocation for technical assistance grants under AB 2377 (Irwin, 2018). DDRDP will have approximately $8 million available to support digesters that reduce methane emissions from dairy operations. CDFA will fund up to 100% of the total project cost with a maximum grant award of $750,000 per project. Matching funds are strongly encouraged. The maximum project term is thirty (30) months. The grant agreement term for awarded projects is anticipated to begin June 1, 2025 and end November 30, 2027. Grant funds cannot be expended before the start of the grant agreement, or after the completion of the grant term. CDFA may offer an award different than the amount requested. Applicants may also be eligible for an additional funding opportunity through the Dairy Plus Program. AMMP supports several project types for which there are methods to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. To be eligible, the current baseline manure management practices must include the anaerobic decomposition of volatile solids stored in a lagoon or other predominantly liquid anaerobic environment. Methane is produced when volatile manure solids are stored in wet, anaerobic conditions; consequently, conditions that lead to methane production must currently exist at a dairy or livestock operation in order for methane emission reductions to be achieved through an AMMP project. For more information, please refer to the 2024 AMMP Request for Grant Applications.
