PORTLAND, Ore., December 19, 2022 — Margi Hoffmann, State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) in Oregon, today announced USDA is investing nearly $375,000 in five small businesses and farms to lower energy costs and combat climate change in rural Oregon. USDA is also making an additional $300 million available under the Rural Energy for America Program, including $250 million through the Inflation Reduction Act, to spur further investment.
“Oregonians have a long history of conservation and innovation, and rural farms and businesses play a vital role in our healthier, more sustainable future,” said Hoffmann. “By utilizing USDA RD’s Rural Energy for America Program, these five entrepreneurs prove that protecting our environment isn’t just a win for future generations. Rural renewable energy projects play a vital role in increasing energy security and economic resilience.”
Nationally, USDA is making 844 investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. This program helps farmers, ag producers and entrepreneurs purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. It reflects the many ways USDA Rural Development helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses lower energy costs.
USDA RD’s investments in Oregon are as follows:
- A $250,000 grant will be used to help a Early Morning LLC, in the rural town of Boring in western Oregon, develop a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power 70 typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $192,625.35 per year.
- Rafter Hay LLC, a small farm in the town of Culver, will use a $20,000 grant a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. This system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power two and a half typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $4,750 per year.
- A $35,854 grant will be used to help a Whitewater Manufacturing Inc, in the rural town of Merlin in south-western Oregon, develop a roof-mounted renewable energy system. The roof-mounted system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power seven and a half typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 79 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $7,761 per year.
- A $64,686 grant investment will be used to help Heritage Woodcraft, a small business in Salem, purchase and install a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system will generate enough renewable electricity per year to power 13 typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $14,788 per year.
- A $3,604 will be used to help Palmer Creek Farming, a small family-owned fruit farm purchase and install an irrigation pump. Palmer Creek Farming is located in the rural town of Dayton in western Oregon. The well pump will lower the business's energy use by 17 percent, reducing its utility bill by $790 per year.
USDA also announced last week that it will make $300 million available under the Rural Energy for America Program to expand renewable energy and support energy-efficiency projects for people living in rural America. This funding includes $250 million provided by the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic legislative package known as the Inflation Reduction Act. The deadline to apply for grants is March 31, 2023. Applications for technical assistance grants are due Jan. 31, 2023. Applications for loan guarantees are accepted year-round.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact their local USDA Rural Development State Energy Coordinator well in advance of the application deadlines to discuss their project and ask any questions about the REAP program or the application process. Additional information on the required materials and how to apply for the REAP program are available in the Dec 15, 2022, Federal Register.