PORTLAND, Ore., August 30, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) State Director Margi Hoffmann today announced USDA is investing $115,000 in 8 Oregonian businesses and agricultural producers combating climate change. The investments are part of USDA’s recently announced $121 million investment in critical infrastructure to combat climate change across rural America.
“Rural America’s resilience and innovation are crucial to our fight against climate change, and rural Oregonians are embracing this challenge head on,” Hoffmann said. “These green energy investments, made possible through President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will help Oregon businesses lower energy costs, increase their disaster resiliency, and create good-paying jobs right in their own communities.”
Hoffmann highlighted 8 new investments that USDA RD is making through the Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants. This program helps state and local government entities, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Tribes construct, renovate or purchase and install equipment for essential community facilities for public use in rural areas.
Many of the businesses listed will replace 100 percent of their energy use with renewable electricity, saving thousands per year. These investments will also help agricultural producers and rural small businesses in Oregon purchase and install renewable energy systems as well as make energy efficiency improvements. The investments will also help with energy audits, renewable energy technical assistance, and renewable energy site assessments. Some examples include:
- Gem Farms LLC, located in the city of Salem, will use a $20,000 investment to purchase and install a 49.5-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV. The system will generate enough energy per year to power three typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $7,781 per year.
- Bee Way Honey Pollination Inc., a beekeeping and honey producing business in Damascus, will use a $10,422 investment to purchase and install a 15.7-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV. The solar array will replace 97 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $1,669 per year.
- Big Falls Ranch Co., a grain, seed, and crop farm in the rural town of Terrebonne in central Oregon, will use a $6,418 investment to develop an energy system. Big Falls Ranch Co. will use these funds to purchase and install a 150 HP well pump. The system will save 41,511 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power five typical U.S. homes. The well pump will lower the business's energy use by 12 percent, reducing its utility bill by $2,632 per year.
- A Rural Development investment of $20,000 will be used to help RMH properties LLC purchase and install a roof-mounted solar PV on top of the building of their carwash. RMH properties LLC is a small business in the rural town of Silverton in western Oregon. The system will generate enough energy to power three typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 74 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $4,472 per year.
- Country Garden Nursery LLC, a small nursery in the rural town of McMinnville in north-western Oregon, will use a $4,585 investment to develop a renewable energy system. The system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power three typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $3,082 per year.
- Kamboj Retail LLC, a convenience store in the city of Grants Pass, will use a $19,846 investment to purchase and install a roof-mounted solar PV. The system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power four typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 26 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $3,704 per year.
- American Onsite, a septic repair and maintenance business located in the rural town of Molalla in north-western Oregon, will use a $13,729 investment to develop a renewable energy system. The system will generate enough renewable energy per year to power three typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $3,137 per year.
- Top Hat Mushrooms Inc., a mushroom farm in the city of Salem, will use a $20,000 investment to purchase and install a roof-mounted solar PV. The system will generate 56,551 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power five typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 58 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $5,655 per year.
These investments reflect the goals of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which addresses immediate economic needs and includes the largest ever federal investment in clean energy for the future. For example, the Act includes $14 billion in funding for USDA programs that support the expansion of biofuels and help rural businesses and electric cooperatives transition to renewable energy and zero-emission systems. This funding reflects the many ways USDA Rural Development helps rural residents, businesses and communities address economic development, infrastructure and social service needs.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, 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. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Follow USDA RD Oregon on Twitter @RD_Oregon.
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