Mount Laurel, New Jersey – USDA Rural Development State Director Jane Asselta announced three new energy grants funded in New Jersey for Fiscal Year 2024. The projects were funded under the Rural Energy for America Program, which helps agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resiliency of their operations.
The announcement was made at J A Berenato Farms in Hammonton, where a $165,880 grant allowed the family-owned produce farm to install a solar array that lowers the farm’s energy usage by more than 100 percent annually.
“Visiting with Joe ‘Pepe’ Berenato, I learned just how important this solar project is to his farm’s bottom line – how much he’s already saving on his electric bill each month and how quickly he will recoup his investment, thanks to the Rural Energy for America Program 50% grant he received,” said Asselta. “The only thing he asked is if other farms like his might get higher consideration for future awards. With our State Director Priority Points policy, farmers can rest assured their efforts reflect increased scoring for these applications.”
Since the start of 2023, New Jersey Rural Development has obligated funding for 29 energy efficiency projects around the state totaling roughly $22 million.
2024 REAP projects in New Jersey include:
- Godwink Farms in Frenchtown received a $43,673 grant for a solar array to power their horse training and veterinary facilities.
- IHM Clinton, a franchise representative of Hampton Inn Hotel Group, received a $157,716 grant to install a roof mounted solar array offering enough electricity to power 17 households.
- North Jersey RC&D, a nonprofit based in Asbury that focuses on community and conservation, received a $250,000 Technical Assistance grant to serve agricultural producers and rural small businesses in a six-county area in the northern part of the state.
Today’s announcement was made following the USDA’s recent rollout plan to partner with farmers and small businesses to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills. In total, USDA is investing $163 million in loans, grants and technical assistance that will support over 300 clean energy projects in across the country. Many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which supports the administration’s Investing in America Agenda aimed to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and the bottom up.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is partnering with people in rural communities across our nation to expand access to clean energy and save rural Americans money,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “We are hard at work, continuing what we've always done, supporting rural small businesses and farmers as they create jobs for their communities and drive economic prosperity.”
Since 2020, USDA has invested more than $2.2 billion through REAP in 7,566 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements, lowering energy bills by an average of $25,000 a year. These investments help producers increase their income and grow their businesses while lowering energy costs.
Additional examples of projects funded in New Jersey:
- Coombs Sod Farms, a ninth-generation operation that proudly farms 1,500 acres in Salem and Cumberland counties, received a $183,668 grant for a solar array to power their mission of producing the highest quality sod for golf courses and landscape contractors.
- Moonshot Farms in East Windsor received a $24,193 grant for a geothermal heating system that allows the organic, fresh cut flower farm to grow year-round and expand their customer base into New York City markets.
“We are now able to grow our flowers in the dead of winter, and the marketing appeal of locally grown with renewable energy has been huge, with customers coming from all over the region. We are very eager to get other farmers using this technology. Not only is it way more environmentally friendly than propane and natural gas, but with the USDA’s programs and the new tax credits, it makes financial sense.” – Rebecca Ginsberg, Moonshot Farms
USDA continues to accept REAP applications and has set aside a portion of the program funds to support underutilized renewable energy technologies, like wind and geothermal power. For additional information please contact our Business Programs manager, Maryann Tancredi, or call our state office at (856) 787-7752.
USDA Rural Development funds projects in New Jersey under the leadership of its state office staff located in Mt. Laurel and is supported by offices located in Hackettstown, Columbus, and Vineland. For more information on programs, visit our state website or follow us on social media(link is external) [twitter.com].
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