Projects Will Lower Energy Costs for Eight Maine Businesses
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $464 million to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help rural communities, agricultural producers and businesses lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico.
“USDA continues to prioritize climate-smart infrastructure to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before,” Vilsack said. “We recognize that lowering energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers helps to expand economic development and employment opportunities for people in America’s rural towns and communities. The investments we are announcing today demonstrate how the Biden-Harris Administration has put rural communities at the heart of climate action and climate-smart solutions.”
USDA Rural Development Acting Maine State Director Tommy R. Higgins said, “I am pleased that USDA Rural Development can assist these forward thinking businesses to help them install renewable energy systems that will lower operating costs over time. Investing through the Rural Energy for America Program helps the Maine economy and contributes to a cleaner and more sustainable future for Maine communities.”
USDA is financing $129 million of these investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. This program provides funding to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. These climate-smart investments will conserve and generate more than 379 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in rural America, which equates to enough electricity to power 35,677 homes per year.
USDA is financing $335 million of these investments through the Electric Loan Program. The loans will help build or improve 1,432 miles of line to strengthen reliability in rural areas. The loans include $102 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital communications to detect and react to local changes in electricity usage.
In Maine, eight businesses have been selected to receive REAP Loans and Grants for a total of $7,464,060:
REAP Grant Recipients:
- Wohelo Incorporated, located in Raymond, has received a grant in the amount of $9,967. This Rural Development funding will be used to assist the business to install a solar photovoltaic system. This project will save $2,467 per year and will generate 16,790 kilowatt hours annually, which is enough to power one home. Wohelo, Incorporated. dba Wohelo Camps, is a set of girls' residential camps in Raymond, Maine.
- Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections, in Freeport, has received a grant in the amount of $20,000. This USDA Rural Development funding will be used to install a new solar photovoltaic system. This project is expected to save $4,551 per year. It will generate 37,050 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough to power three homes. Wilbur’s of Maine is a chocolate and candy store located in Freeport, Maine.
- Dooryard Farm, LLC., in Camden, has received a grant in the amount of $14,400. This Rural Development funding will be used to install a new solar photovoltaic system. This project is expected to save $1,603 per year. It will generate 28,718 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough to power two homes. Dooryard Farm, LLC., is a certified organic farm that grows vegetables and pasture-raised animals in and around Camden, Maine.
- Littlefield Retreat, LLC., in Springvale, has received a grant in the amount of $13,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to help install a solar photovoltaic system. This company owns and operates Purposely Lost, Maine's first and only eco-friendly, carbon neutral, luxury-meets-camp retreat in Springvale, Maine. This project is expected to save $1,284 per year and will generate 89,370 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough to power eight homes.
- Poor Richard's Incorporated, in Springvale, has received a grant in the amount of $3,197. This Rural Development investment will be used to help install a solar photovoltaic system in Springvale, Maine. This project is expected to save $1,018 per year. It will generate 7,100 kilowatt hours per year. Poor Richard's Incorporated, dba Ferment Farm, specializes in heritage produce used to produce premium micro-batch foods including ice cream, fermented foods, and cider.
- Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company LLC, in Whitefield, has received a grant in the amount of $6,231. This Rural Development investment will be used to install a new solar photovoltaic system that is expected to save $2,200 per year and replace 16,542 kilowatt hours (100 percent of the company's energy use) annually. This is enough energy to power one home. Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company LLC is a micro-brewery and tasting room.
- Morning Dew Farm LLC., in Damariscotta, has received a grant in the amount of $12,265. This Rural Development investment will be used to install a new solar photovoltaic system. This project is expected to save $3,100 per year and will generate 28,626 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough energy to power two homes. Morning Dew Farm LLC is a grower of organic vegetables and seedlings.
REAP Loan Recipient:
- Augusta Road Bowdoin Solar LLC., in Bowdoin, has received a REAP Guaranteed Loan in the amount of $7,385,000 in partnership with lender Crestmark, a division of MetaBank. This Rural Development investment will be used to provide permanent financing to build a 5.415 MWdc ground-mounted solar project located in rural Bowdoin, ME. The project has interconnection and net energy billing agreements in place with Central Maine Power Company and is expected to produce 6,787,000 kilowatt hours of electricity in the first full year of operation.
For more information on the REAP Program, contact Brian Wilson, Business & Cooperative Programs Director, at (207) 990-9125 or brian.wilson@usda.gov.
The Department is announcing investments today in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.
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/me.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.
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