Projects Funded by President Biden Will Lower Costs and Create Revenue for Rural Business Owners and Farms
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 22, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA is investing $44 million in renewable energy and domestic fertilizer projects to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
Many of the projects are being funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis.
“The Biden-Harris administration is making investments in North Carolina into renewable energy and domestic fertilizer projects to lower costs, generate new income and strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers,” said Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight. “Powering our state with modern, renewable energy infrastructure creates good-paying jobs and supports opportunities for people to drive economic prosperity and security.”
This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America and Bidenomics agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle-out and bottom up, create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets, lowering costs and expanding clean energy.
“President Biden and USDA are ensuring farmers, ranchers and small businesses are not only a part of the clean energy economy, but directly benefitting from it,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced will expand access to renewable energy infrastructure and increase domestic fertilizer production, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs that they can then invest back into their businesses and communities.”
USDA is awarding $44 million in North Carolina for projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP).
For example:
- In Brunswick County, Walex Products Company Inc. will use a $263 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 299-kilowatt solar array. Walex Products will generate 427 thousand kilowatt hours per year. This project will save enough electricity to power 39 homes.
- In Catawba County, Vanguard Furniture Co. Inc. will use a $198 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 188-kilowatt solar array. This project will save 246-thousand kilowatt hours per year. This project will save enough electricity to power 22 homes.
- In Dare County, Multi Cinemas Corp – NC, will use a $222 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, lighting, and a movie projector. Multi Cinemas Corp – NC will save 152-thousand kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 14 homes.
- In Hoke County, Timberland Farm will use a $167 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 79 and 115 kilowatt solar arrays. The project will save 299 kilowatt hours per year. This project will save enough electricity to power 28 homes.
- In Monroe County, Biogas Corporation will use a $32 million Fertilizer Production Expansion Program Grant to acquire an anaerobic digestion facility. Through a unique combustion process, the facility projects to generate 55 thousand megawatts of clean energy per year.
- In Pitt County, Carolina Poultry Power RG1 LLC will use a $1 million Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase, install and retrofit an existing poultry litter waste to energy, biomass facility. The retrofitted system is estimated to produce an additional 1.6-million-kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 145 homes.
- In Sampson County, Anthony F. King will use a $213 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 283-kilowatt solar array. Anthony F. King will save 418 thousand kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 40 homes.
- In Scotland County, Henry Gibson Solar will use a $6.9 million Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency loan and $1million Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 6.6-megawatt solar system. The system is estimated to produce 12-million-kilowatt hour in year one, which is enough electricity to power one thousand homes.
- In Union County, Advanced Digital Textiles LLC will use a $176 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 229-kilowatt solar array. The project will save 309 thousand kilowatt hours per year. This project will save enough electricity to power 28 homes.
- In Wilkes County, Red Legged Rooster Inc. will use a $133 thousand Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Grant to purchase and install a 167 thousand solar array. The project will save 221 thousand kilowatt hours per year. This project will save enough electricity to power 20 homes.
Nationwide the REAP awards total $157 million for 675 projects in 42 states, including more than $94 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The REAP program delivers on the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments will cut energy costs for farmers and ag producers that can instead be used to create jobs and new revenue streams for people in their communities.
Projects financed through FPEP will help U.S. farmers increase independent, domestic fertilizer production. Today’s investments include $50 million in seven projects in seven states.
USDA is making the REAP and FPEP awards in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $166 million in 40 projects nationwide to boost domestic fertilizer production through FPEP. USDA has also taken steps to support producers in leveraging these tools through nutrient management assistance and climate-smart management practices. During that same time, USDA has invested more than $1.6 billion through REAP in 5,457 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will help rural business owners lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen their resiliency of operations.
Background
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loans to help ag producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar and other forms of clean energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, address climate change and lower energy costs for American families.
USDA continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information on application deadlines and submission details, see page 19239 of the March 31 Federal Register.
The Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP) provides grants to independent business owners to help them modernize equipment, adopt new technologies, build production plants and more. Funding helps boost domestic fertilizer production, strengthen competition and lower costs for U.S. farmers.
The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA created FPEP to combat issues facing American farmers due to rising fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 due to a variety of factors. Factors included the war in Ukraine, a lack of competition in the fertilizer industry, and more.
FPEP is part of a broader effort to help producers boost production and address global food insecurity. It is also one of many ways the Administration is promoting fair competition, innovation and resiliency across food and agriculture while combating the climate crisis.
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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