Investments Will Make Rural Communities More Energy Independent and Resilient
COLUMBIA, S.C., Dec. 03, 2021 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is investing $633 million to reduce the impacts of climate change on rural communities. As part of the Build Back Better agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in rural communities, creating good-paying jobs and combating the climate crisis top priorities.
“Rural America is on the front lines of climate change, and our communities deserve investments that will strengthen all of our resilience,” Vilsack said. “President Biden has created a roadmap for how we can tackle the climate crisis and expand access to renewable energy infrastructure, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs. With the Build Back Better agenda, USDA will be able to fund more and more critical projects like those announced today in the coming months and years.”
Background:
Vilsack highlighted 793 investments that USDA is making in five programs specifically designed to help people and businesses in rural areas. These programs include Community Facilities Disaster Grants, Electric Loan Program, Rural Energy for America Program, Rural Energy Savings Program, and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program.
The funding will help people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. It reflects the many ways USDA Rural Development helps rural residents, businesses and communities address economic development, infrastructure and social service needs.
These investments will help build and improve rural electric infrastructure and connect residents to affordable and dependable power. They will help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. They will also help transportation fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities offer higher ethanol and biodiesel blends to customers by sharing the costs to install fuel pumps, equipment and infrastructure.
“This round of funding includes seven Rural Energy for America projects in South Carolina”, said Dr. Saundra Glover, state director for South Carolina Rural Development. “Projects like these provide climate smart solutions that will ultimately help rural communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change.”
For example, in South Carolina:
- Driftwood Farms, LLC, in Williamsburg county, will use a $15,719 grant for the purchase and installation of a 10.8 kW roof mounted solar array. This project will generate 15,582 kWh of electricity per year. The purpose of this funding program is to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems, and in making energy-efficiency improvements to its operations.
- Key West Boats, Inc., in Dorchester county will use a $179,281 grant for the for the purchase and installation of a 318-kilowatt (kW) roof mounted solar array. Key West Boats, Inc., a boat manufacturer, in Ridgeville, South Carolina has been in business since 1987. This project will realize $70,097 per year in savings and will replace 584,147 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year which is enough electricity to power 53 homes.
- Beulah Solar LLC, in Saluda county, will use a $25 million loan for the purchase and installation of a 101.36 megawatts (mW) solar system. Beulah Solar LLC is a newly created entity for the purpose of generating electricity in Batesburg, South Carolina. The system is estimated to produce 179,797,600 kilowatt hours (kWh0 per year, which is enough electricity to power 16,591 homes.
- Carolina Mobile Storage LLC will use a $35,460 grant for the purchase and installation of a 24.96-kilowatt roof mounted solar array. Carolina Mobile Storage LLC, a mobile storage sales and rental company that has been in business for over 30 years in Dorchester county, will replace 36,406 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and realize $4,732 in savings per year.
- HydroLand, Inc., in Cherokee county, will use a $317,765 grant for the purchase and installation of a 1,500-kilowatt (kW) hydropower system. HydroLand Inc. is a rural producer of hydroelectricity that became the owner of the Cherokee Falls, South Carolina site in 2020. This project will generate 23,997,000 kilowatts (kW) of electricity per year, which is enough to power 2,214 homes.
- McFarlan Farms LLC will use a $47,261 grant to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems, and in making energy-efficiency improvements to their operations. McFarlan Farms LLC is a poultry farm located in Chesterfield county. Project funds will be used for the purchase and installation of a 113.20-kW solar array. This project will realize $14,049 per year in savings and will replace 168,829 kWh per year, which is enough electricity to power 16 homes.
- Phillips Farms LLC, a poultry farm located in Chesterfield county, will use a $40,622 grant for the purchase and installation of a 97.30 kilowatt (kW) solar array. This investment will help realize $14,391 per year in savings and will replace 142,348 kilowatt (kWh) per year. The project will save enough electricity to power 14 homes.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
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, ensuring access to 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/sc.
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