Federal loan guarantee gives northern Nevada waste-to-fuel plant boost toward construction

The developer of a northern Nevada biofuel production plant declared his project ready for construction, after receiving a federal loan guarantee for about half the cost.

Fulcrum BioEnergy chief E. James Macias said during the start of Thursday's annual National Clean Energy Summit that the Sierra BioFuels Plant in Storey County will cost $200 million and take two years to build.

Macias says construction will start this year in the same McCarran, Nevada, industrial park that will host a $5 billion factory for carmaker Tesla to produce batteries.

Federal Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Macias in announcing the $105 million loan guarantee.

The plant will convert 200,000 tons of trash per year from the Lockwood Regional Landfill in Sparks into diesel, maritime and jet fuel.