Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Rural Communities to Lower Energy Costs and Create Jobs in 39 States and Guam as part of Investing in America Agenda

Brunswick, Maine, July 26, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced from the Brunswick Farmers Market today that USDA is partnering with farmers and small businesses to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Rural Energy for America Technical Assistance Grant Program. Today, USDA is investing $163 million in loans, grants and technical assistance that will support 338 clean energy projects in 39 States and Guam. Many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis. The projects also advance President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and the bottom up.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is partnering with people in rural communities across our nation to expand access to clean energy and save rural Americans money,” Secretary Vilsack said. “We are hard at work, continuing what we've always done, supporting rural small businesses and farmers as they create jobs for their communities and drive economic prosperity.”

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2.2 billion through REAP in 7,566 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. These projects will help rural small businesses and farmers lower energy bills by an average of $25,000 a year, generate new renewable energy income and strengthen their resiliency of operations. The energy generated and saved from these projects would provide enough electricity to power more than 630,000 homes over the course of a year.

REAP enables agricultural producers and rural small business owners to expand their use of wind, solar, geothermal and small hydropower energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses and address climate change while lowering energy costs for American families.

Here are examples of the awards being announced today:

• Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI), a community development financial institution in Brunswick, Maine that focuses on environmental justice, will use a $100,000 grant to recruit and assist rural small business owners and agricultural producers to apply for REAP grants, prioritizing people in distressed or disadvantaged communities.
• T&S Farms Banks County LLC, a poultry farm in Homer, Georgia, will use a $158,503 grant to install a solar array. This project is expected to save $22,500 per year and enough energy to power 18 homes.
• Cliff’s Inc., a farm machinery repair and maintenance business in Friesland, Wisconsin will use a $16,000 grant to purchase and install energy efficient test equipment. The project is expected to save $22,000 per year.
• Eastern Utah Disaster LLC in Price, Utah, will use a $44,000 grant to purchase a solar photovoltaic system expected to save the company $3,000 a year.

The awards will benefit people in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Guam.

USDA continues to accept REAP applications and has set aside a portion of the program funds to support underutilized renewable energy technologies, like wind and geothermal power. For additional information, contact a local energy coordinator.

A complete list of all REAP projects can be found online.

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. REAP is a part of the President’s Justice40 initiative which sets a goal that 40% of the benefits from certain federal investments go to disadvantaged communities. The program 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. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under 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. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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