ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The United Soybean Board (USB) announced last week it will help the Clean Cities program promote the use of biodiesel and an alternative form of heating oil called bioheat, all across the country.

The soy checkoff issued a request for proposals (RFP) to Clean Cities chapters to promote increased use of these alternative fuels, in concert with the U.S. Department of Energy. Awards could total as much as $150,000 and as much as $25,000 apiece.

The deadline for the RFPs was Nov. 14. USB farmer-leaders will select the winning proposals and announce them in mid-December.

“USB’s Clean Cities program multiplies our opportunity for outreach,” said Mike Beard, USB’s director and a soybean farmer from Frankfort, Ind. “These Clean Cities chapters do a tremendous job of communicating the benefits of soy biodiesel and bioheat to the public.

“Hopefully, we’ll see more applications for programs that reach out to potential biofuel users in the commercial area, such as heavy trucks and contractor fleets. We also want to continue to reach those who make decisions in municipal governments.”

That was pretty much also the word from Sean Reid, executive director of the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC), a nonprofit based out of Ann Arbor. Reid said his organization, which manages the Ann Arbor Clean Cities program, was submitting a proposal for one of the awards.

The CEC was started in 2005 and works on a variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. The group works with municipal governments, corporations and residential end-users. The group started out as a local organization, but now works statewide.

“We’ve grown a lot in terms of the territory that we cover,” Reid said. “We truly have a statewide reach. We’re located in Ann Arbor, but we work across the state.”

He said there are now about 100 biofuel pumps across Michigan, which are a combination of 2o percent biodiesel (B20) and ethanol, primarily E85.

“Of all the pumps that we put in, they’re all still in operation,” Reid said. “I think that reflects a certain amount of support in the community.”

But he said there’s been a “leveling off” of that support as well. He blames it on the food versus fuel debate; he said the attacks on ethanol and biofuel in general have hurt the biofuel industry.

“I think it makes a lot of sense to produce our fuel here. We can support our local economy,” Reid said.

He described the local Clean Cities chapter as “one of the most competitive in the country. Since (the CEC) started in 2005 we’ve secured over $60 million in funded projects.”

According to the CEC, in 2010 the Ann Arbor Clean Cities program displaced more than 3 million gallons of petroleum; collectively, Clean Cities across the country have displaced more than 2.4 billion gallons of petroleum since they were started. In 2008 alone, approximately 412 million gallons of gasoline were displaced as a result of coalition activities.