Funding Will Support Sustainability For Property In the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Complex
MCCARRAN, Nev., June 10, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) Under Secretary Basil Gooden and USDA RD-Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad today announced that USDA is investing $729, 868 in Scougal Rubber Corporation through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Scougal Rubber, located within the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Complex (TRIC), will use this funding to install photovoltaic solar arrays on the property to cut energy costs and operate more sustainably.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are ensuring farmers, ranchers and small businesses are directly benefitting from a clean energy economy,” USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden said. “We know that this work begins from the bottom up and middle out. So, by powering people with modern, renewable energy infrastructure, we are supporting opportunities that drive economic prosperity and security for rural communities in Nevada and across the nation.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration understands that advancing sustainability in rural Nevada requires investing in infrastructure and economy,” said USDA RD-Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad. “This project, funded through the historic Inflation Reduction Act, is an illustration of that commitment. We’re proud to see Scougal Rubber poised to thrive far into the future, and we’ll continue our work to ensure rural Nevada can harvest the economic benefits of the clean, sustainable energy.”
“We’re proud to provide innovative and reliable rubber products to many industries and projects throughout North America from this facility here in Nevada,” said Scougal Rubber President Rob Anderson. “Now, with this award, we can continue to support the local economy by providing jobs while saving on energy costs and operating more sustainably. We thank the USDA for their support of rural small businesses.”
This RD investment will be used to assist Freedom Solar construct a total of 657.66 kilowatt (kW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays at Scougal Rubber Corporation construction site. The systems will be roof mounted & carports will be installed on property owned by Scougal Rubber. The estimated yearly energy generation is 977,632 kilowatt hours (kWh) or $108,686.61 per year. Scougal Rubber is within the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, which is home to other REAP applicants, and will in the future host large corporations such as Google and Tesla.
This project was funded through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), including funding from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act.
Since December 2022, USDA 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 program is part of the Justice40 Initiative, which is working to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments reach communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.
The funding announced today is part of 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 and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
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/nv.
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