The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for $1 billion in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses invest in renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements, the agency announced last month.
“Supporting renewable energy and energy-saving systems helps the people of rural America create thriving, livable communities,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in the March 31 USDA press release. “When we invest in rural communities, we are supporting hard work that sends a ripple effect across our country.”
The grants are provided under the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), with funding from President Joseph Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the release reports. In addition to supporting the installation of renewable-energy systems and energy-efficient upgrades, REAP funding will also support the development of the first "underutilized technology" fund, with $144.5 million of dedicated funding available, according to the news release.
"USDA is particularly interested in REAP projects that will help rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and improved infrastructure, reduce climate pollution and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change, conserve and protect farmland, and invest in underserved communities," the agency states in the news release.
The program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution, according to the release. This funding marks the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis, as USDA encourages the adoption of renewable energy systems and promotes energy-efficiency improvements in rural America.
Eligible applicants include rural small businesses and agricultural producers, with competitions held quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024, according to the release.
“Clean energy is critical to the future of our economy, Vilsack said in the release, "and the Inflation Reduction Act provides the Biden-Harris Administration with the resources to build a more prosperous rural America while tackling the climate crisis and lowering energy costs."
