Projects Lower Energy Costs, Generate Income and Expand Operations
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is awarding $145 million in loans and grants to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resiliency of their operations.
This funding is made possible in part by the Inflation Reduction Act. The announcement is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series.
“President Biden and USDA are ensuring farmers, ranchers and small businesses are not only a part of the clean energy economy, but directly benefitting from it,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced today expand access to renewable energy infrastructure, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs.”
“People in rural Nebraska bring ingenuity and hard work to renewable energy projects, improving their bottom line and creating more resilient and sustainable infrastructure for the future,” USDA Rural Development Nebraska State Director Kate Bolz said, “We have helped a wide variety of Nebraska business owners this year, ranging from cattle producers to auto dealers, and stand ready to assist even more.”
USDA is investing $145 million in 697 renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects in 45 states and one territory. The Department is awarding the loans and grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements.
The investments are helping to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and build a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make rural communities more resilient.
For example:
- Marx Land and Livestock Inc., a cattle ranch in Rushville, Nebraska, will install a 190-kilowatt solar array. The project will generate 6,098 kilowatt hours annually, 100 percent of the company’s energy use.
- Marcy Cattle Co Inc., a cattle ranch in Hay Springs, Nebraska, will install three solar stock wells. The project will generate 1,137 kilowatt hours annually, 100 percent of the energy use of the project.
USDA is making awards in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Virgin Islands.
USDA Rural Development Nebraska continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. To learn more about resources for rural Nebraskans, visit rd.usda.gov/ne.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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