Thirty-one South Dakota applicants have been selected to receive $940,880 in grants from USDA Rural Development through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Funds will be used to install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements that will promote energy conservation.
“These projects will assist the state’s rural economy by reducing energy consumption,” said South Dakota Acting State Director Bruce Jones. “Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects supports home-grown energy sources, creates jobs, and reduces greenhouse gas pollution and helps usher in a more secure energy future for South Dakota.”
Eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses may use REAP funds to make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, renewable biomass (including anaerobic digesters), small hydroelectric, ocean energy, hydrogen and geothermal. Additional information on the Rural Energy for America Program may be found at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency/sd or contact Darlene Bresson, USDA Rural Development Energy Coordinator, darlene.bresson@sd.usda.gov; (605) 886-8202.
Detailed below by county are the energy projects selected from South Dakota’s allocation of funding. Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the grant agreements.
Brookings
Troy Murphy - $51,369 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, saving 1,762,300,000 BTU’s a year, which is the equivalent of powering 47 homes.
Farmers Implement & Irrigation, Inc. - $12,332 – replacing lighting with new LED lightening, reducing energy usage by 71%, which is the equivalent of powering four homes per year.
Brown
Rix Farms, Inc. - $19,441 - installing a geothermal system in a farm workshop which will reduce conventional energy by 74%, which is the equivalent of powering four homes per year.
Custer
Carson Drug, LLC - $2,071 - upgrading existing lightening to LED in the retail store, increasing energy efficiency by 58% per year, which is the equivalent of powering one home per year.
Day
Jon Raap - $22,342 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, reducing energy use by 62%, which is the equivalent to powering 51 homes.
Deuel
James A. Peterson - $19,124 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, saving 30% energy, which is equivalent to powering seven homes.
Custer
French Creek Supply, Inc. - $3,255 – replacing lighting in a retail store with more energy efficient LED lightening, resulting in energy savings of 64% per year, which is equivalent to powering one home.
Fall River
Alex and Yvonne Schmunk, Inc. (Sonny’s Super Foods) - $16,667 – replacing an old meat case with a new, more energy efficient one and retrofitting overhead lighting with LED lighting, resulting in an energy savings of 77,318 kWh per year, which is equivalent to powering seven homes.
Faulk
Vogel Farm - $20,000 - installing a geothermal heating/cooling system for the farm operation that will generate/save 96,211 kWh per year, which is enough to power eight homes.
Hutchinson
Reiner Farms, Inc. - $50,350 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, saving 1,254.7 million BTU’s per year, which is enough to power 33 homes.
Hyde
Mashek Food Center, Inc. - $16,567 - installing a new furnace and freezers/coolers in the Mashek Food Center, saving 100,000 kWh per year, or enough electricity to power nine homes.
Kingsbury
Country Butcher Shop - $9,493 - installing a solar voltaic generation system to produce electricity utilized by the Butcher Shop. The project will generate 30,000 kWh of electricity per year which is equivalent to powering two homes.
Lake
John Ebsen - $11,050 - producing 17,411 kWh of solar energy for direct use for an agricultural operation and selling power back to the grid. This project is saving enough energy that is equivalent to powering one home per year.
Lawrence
Verhulst Enterprises, Inc. - $3,235 - upgrading lighting to LED and adding insulation to exterior walls of a small retail business, resulting in 64% energy savings per year, which is equivalent to powering one home.
Lincoln
Jason Vandentop - $41,527 - installing a grain dryer that will save 1,389.2 million BTU’s per year, which is equivalent to powering 37 homes.
Marshall
Bosse State Line Farms - $49, 978 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, thereby reducing energy usage by 64% or the equivalent of powering 48 homes.
Langford Main Street Center, Inc. - $36,500 – installing a geothermal system in their new building for heating and cooling which will save 69,431 kWh per year – enough to power 6 homes.
Meade
GenPro Energy Solutions, LLC - $6,200 - replacing electricity from a coal-fired power plant with the installation of a solar panel that will generate electricity for the business. This project has an equivalent energy savings of powering two homes per year.
GenPro Energy Solutions, LLC - $4,700 - upgrading existing lightening to LED, increasing energy efficiency by 66% per year, which is equivalent to powering three homes.
Minnehaha
C Jones Family Farm, Inc. - $21,925 – replacing a propane fired grain dryer with a high efficiency in-bin dryer and handling system that will save 552 million BTU’s per year, which is equivalent to powering 14 homes.
Jeffrey Thompson - $24,771 – installing a grain dryer, saving 259.7 million BTU’s a year, which is equivalent to powering seven homes.
Roger Fiegen - $17,614 - replacing an existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer providing an extra energy savings of nearly 50% a year, which is equivalent to powering eight homes.
Rosenbauer America, LLC - $33,447 – installing a new renewable energy geothermal heating/cooling system for a fire truck assembly business.
Moody
Dean Jaycox - $33,980 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, reducing energy use by 46% and saving 1,289 million BTU’s a year, which is enough to power 35 homes.
Pennington
Haven Stuck - $7,055 - replacing electricity from a coal-fired utility plant with a solar panel to generate electricity for ranch operations. The energy saved is equivalent to powering one home per year.
Spink
Redfield Energy, LLC - $250,000 - installing a new fiber separation technology system. The energy saved is equivalent to powering five homes.
Don Hearnen - $17,660 - installing a geothermal system in a farm workshop which will reduce energy consumption by 72% per year, which is equivalent to powering five homes.
Union
Glover Ag Inc. - $36,864 - replacing existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, saving 457.9 million BTU’s year, which is equivalent to powering 12 homes.
Timothy Wilken - $32,129 - replacing an existing inefficient grain dryer with a more energy efficient dryer, saving 742.5 million BTU’s per year, which is equivalent to powering 20 homes.
John Thompson - $49,750 – replacing an existing center-pivot irrigation system with a new, sub-ground equipment. The energy saved is equivalent to powering one home for a year.
Yankton
N-K Properties, Inc. - $19,474 – purchasing a hot water boiler system for a car wash, saving 244.9 million BTU’s a year, which is equivalent to powering six homes.
USDA Rural Development in South Dakota has offices in Aberdeen, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Yankton. For more information, visit the USDA Rural Development website at http://www.rd.usda.gov/sd.
The Administration’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. These investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.