Agricultural producers and rural small businesses will reduce energy usage and costs with funding made available from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Over $43 million in loan guarantees and $11.6 million in grants will be provided by USDA. The funding — available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) — will be used for energy efficiency improvements and to install renewable energy systems for 821 projects across the nation.
The Rural Energy for America Program has helped roughly 15,000 small businesses and farms save enough energy to power about 730,000 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than five million metric tons annually, according to USDA.
Helping thousands of rural small businesses, farmers and ranchers shift away from fossil-based energy by installing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency solutions has been one of the most important components of USDA’s climate mitigation investments. Thanks to USDA investments in renewable energy projects of all sizes, rural Americans are saving more than 10.4 billion kWh— enough energy to power more than 959,000 American homes annually.