Nebraska § 77-6603 - Terms, defined.

§ 77-6603. Terms, defined.

For purposes of the Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Biomass feedstock means sugar, starch, polysaccharide, glycerin, lignin, fat, grease, or oil derived from plants, animals, or algae or a protein capable of being converted to a building block chemical by means of a biological or chemical conversion process;

(2) Building block chemical means a molecule that is converted from biomass feedstock as a first product or a secondarily derived product that can be further refined into a higher-value chemical, material, or consumer product;

(3) Director means the Director of Economic Development;

(4) Eligible business means a business that has been certified by the director under section 77-6604;

(5) Food additive means a building block chemical that is not primarily consumed as food but which, when combined with other components, improves the taste, appearance, odor, texture, shelf life, or nutritional content of food. The director, in his or her discretion, shall determine whether or not a biobased chemical is primarily consumed as food;

(6) Pre-eligibility production threshold means, with respect to each eligible business, the number of pounds of renewable chemicals produced, if any, by an eligible business during the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which the business first qualified as an eligible business pursuant to section 77-6604; and

(7)(a) Renewable chemical means a building block chemical with a significant biobased content that can be used for products including polymers, plastics, food additives, solvents, intermediate chemicals, or other formulated products with a significant nonfossil carbon content.

(b) Renewable chemical includes:

(i) Biobased chemicals that can be a food, feed, or fuel additive; and

(ii) Supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.

(c) The director may include additional chemicals or materials in the definition of renewable chemical by rule and regulation after consulting with appropriate experts from the University of Nebraska, including, but not limited to, the Industrial Agricultural Products Center.

(d) Renewable chemical does not include a chemical sold or used as fuel.