MORGANTOWN, Aug. 30, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development West Virginia State Director Ryan Thorn today announced that Rural Development is awarding grants to agriculture producers and rural small businesses in West Virginia to help lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operation. Funding is made possible in part by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“Combined, the sixteen investments announced today will save these rural West Virginia small businesses more than $335,000 annually on their utility bills – helping to bolster their bottom lines, reinvest in their businesses, and create new economic opportunities,” said Thorn. “The small businesses in our rural communities are the backbone of our economy and investing in them is an investment in our state's future. Powering our rural West Virginia communities with modern, renewable energy infrastructure creates good-paying jobs and supports opportunities for people to drive economic prosperity and security.”
The grants are made available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), including from the funding made possible by the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. Rural Development is investing $1,739,492 in 16 projects across West Virginia.
Berkeley County
- MART Toy, Inc. will receive a $238,666 grant to purchase and install a 452.20-kW solar array at its car dealership. This project annually will save $21,725 and generate 545,416 kWh, or 75 percent, enough electricity to power 50 homes.
Cabell County
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Solar Holler Power Plant Company LLC will receive a $250,000 grant to purchase and install a 701 kilowatt (kW) solar array at their solar electric power generation facility in Cabell County. This project will produce 814,678 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough electricity to power 76 homes.
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New Wind Rising Farm will receive a $33,816 grant to purchase and install a 14-kW solar array and battery back-up for at its farm in Wayne and Cabell counties. This project will realize $3,004 per year in savings and will replace 8,953 kWh per year, which is enough electricity to power one home.
Doddridge County
- Main Street Estate LLC will receive a $11,057 grant to purchase and install a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at its Airbnb business. This project will realize $3,986 per year in savings and will replace 30,920 kWh, or 61 percent, which is enough electricity to power three homes.
Hardy County
- Valley View Poultry will receive a $36,778 grant to purchase and install a 42-kW solar array at its Hardy County farm. This project annually will save $8,748 and replace 60,332 kWh, or 100 percent, enough energy to power five homes.
- Foltz Farm K LLC will receive a $164,450 grant to purchase and install a 141-kW and 74-kW solar array. This project will realize $30,393 per year in savings and will replace 303,937 kWh, or 98 percent, which is enough electricity to power 28 homes.
- C & P Carpet Plus LLC will receive a $18,270 grant to purchase and install a 22.08-kW solar array at its flooring business. This project will realize $2,312 per year in savings and will generate 28,174 kWh per year, or 97 percent, which is enough electricity to power three homes.
Jefferson County
- 515 E Washington LLC will receive a $20,000 grant to purchase and install a 17-kW solar array at its commercial real-estate facility. This project will realize $951 per year in savings and will generate 19,214 kWh per year, or 100 percent, which is enough electricity to power more than one home.
- Cobb & Associates LLC will receive a $19,350 grant to purchase and install a 13.2-kW solar array at its construction consulting business. This project will realize $1,859 per year in savings and will generate 17,760 kWh per year, or 95 percent, which is enough electricity to power two homes.
Marshall County
- Tri-State Electric & Machine Company will receive a $9,380 grant to purchase and install a refurbished CNC Machine. This project will realize $5,950 per year in savings and will reduce 18,772 kWh, or 27 percent, which is enough electricity to power two homes per year.
Monongalia County
- The Eddy Farm LLC will receive a $11,248 grant to purchase and install a 13.51-kW solar array. This project will realize $1,098 per year in savings and will generate 12,924 kWh per year, or 82 percent, which is enough electricity to power one home.
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Abel Family Farm LLC will receive a $12,172 grant to purchase and install a 8.76-kW solar array. This project will realize $1,872 per year in savings and will generate 8,532 kWh per year, or 47 percent, which is enough electricity to power one home.
Morgan County
- Remarkable Resources LLC will receive a $37,675 grant to purchase and install a 34-kW solar array. Remarkable Resources owns Blue Flame, a propane sales company in Morgan County. This project will realize $4,149 per year in savings and will replace 37,726 kWh, or 100 percent, which is enough electricity to power three homes.
- Caperton Furniture Works LLC will receive a $362,630 grant to purchase and install an energy-efficient Dust Mitigation System. This project will realize $11,900 per year in energy savings and will save 106,971 kWh per year, which is enough electricity to power 10 homes.
- Hunters Hardware will receive a $14,000 grant to purchase and construct a mini split heat pump system. This project will realize $4,695 per year in savings and will reduce 177,964 kWh, or 73 percent, which is enough electricity to power 16 homes.
Wetzel County
- Wissmach Holding Company will receive a $500,000 grant to purchase and install energy-efficient manufacturing equipment at The Paul Wissmach Glass Company. This project will realize $249,284 per year in savings and will replace 34,956 kWh per year, which is enough to power three homes.
Since December 2022, Rural Development has made up to $1.3 billion available in REAP funding through the Inflation Reduction Act. Eligible applicants include rural small business owners and agricultural producers.
The funding announced today advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, to grow the American economy from the middle-out and bottom up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good-paying jobs that will make our communities more resilient.
In addition to West Virginia, Rural Development is making awards in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Guam and Puerto Rico. Additional awards are expected in the coming months.
Rural Development continues to accept applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes $144.5 million for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information on application deadlines and submission details, see page 19239 of the March 31 Federal Register.
Background: Inflation Reduction Act
As a core pillar of Bidenomics and the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Inflation Reduction Act makes the largest investment in climate action in history and is lowering energy costs, bringing opportunity to communities across America and tackling the climate crisis through investments in agriculture, forest restoration, and rural communities.
The Biden Administration championed the Inflation Reduction Act to help provide new funding and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth. It is the largest single investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Administration is delivering on its promise to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across America.
It provides funding to USDA Rural Development to help eligible organizations invest in renewable energy infrastructure and zero-emission systems and make energy-efficiency improvements that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It will boost the long-term resiliency, reliability and affordability of rural electric systems. It will help families save money on utility bills, and it will expand rural opportunities in the clean-energy economy.
For more information on the Inflation Reduction Act, visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/inflation-reduction-act.
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/wv.
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