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On Earth Day, USDA Invests $35,820 in Two South Dakota Communities

Name
Tammi Schone
Phone
City
Huron
Release Date

Today, in honor of Earth Day, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) State Director for Rural Development South Dakota Nikki Gronli announced investments of $35,820 in two South Dakota communities. These investments will expand renewable energy resources.

“These investments will provide energy efficiency and directly impact the businesses’ bottom line,” said Gronli. “USDA is proud to celebrate Earth Day through local partners to improve rural resiliency.”

These South Dakota projects are part of a larger national announcement of 165 projects across 40 states, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The details of the two South Dakota projects are:

  • A $20,000 grant to Commercial State Bank, a locally owned bank in the rural community of Wagner, South Dakota, will be used to purchase and install a 73,060-kilowatt hour (kWh) roof-mounted solar array. This project will realize $5,844.80 per year in savings and will replace 76,030 kWh of electricity per year (32 percent) which is enough electricity to power seven homes.
  • A $15,820 grant to purchase and install a 35.1 kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar array at Lau Repair, Inc. located near Summit, South Dakota. This project will replace $4,377.33 per year in energy costs and will replace 51,359 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year (50.41 percent) which is enough electricity to power four homes.

 Background

The Department is making the investments under various programs like the Electric Loan Program and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). These programs assist agricultural producers, rural small business owners and residents with lowering energy costs and making energy-efficiency improvements.

The Community Facilities Disaster Grants program is assisting in the emergency infrastructure improvements and community facility renovation.

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. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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