The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky today announced USDA awarded over $129,000 in grants to 12 rural Kentucky businesses and agricultural producers.
These investment made through the Rural Energy for America Program , or REAP, aim to help businesses increase energy efficiency while moving toward renewable energy sources.
“USDA continues to prioritize climate-smart infrastructure to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We recognize that lowering energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers helps to expand economic development and employment opportunities for people in America’s rural towns and communities. The investments we are announcing today demonstrate how the Biden-Harris Administration has put rural communities at the heart of climate action and climate-smart solutions.”
Andrew R. Alford (Bowling Green) will use a $20,000 grant to help purchase and install a high-efficiency grain dryer, which will save 18,095 kilowatt hours per year in energy.
Stays & Visits LLC (Carlisle) will use a $5,962 grant to help purchase and install a 9.48-kW solar system, which will help save over $1,200 in energy costs annually.
Loudon Waterstrat (London) will use an $8,225 grant to help purchase and install a 12-kW solar system, which will help save over $1,610 in energy costs annually.
Sarah Barney (Beattyville) will use a $2,500 grant to help purchase and install a 4.65-kilowatt solar system, which help save over $580 in energy costs annually.
Homegrown Hideaway LLC (Berea) will use a $5,000 grant to help purchase and install a 9.24-kilowatt solar system, which will help save over $1,400 in energy costs annually.
Nick Lloyd Basses (Carlisle) will use a $5,962 grant to help purchase and install a 9.48-kilowatt solar system, which will help save over $1,200 in energy costs annually.
Pantry Shelf Incorporated (Hazard) will use an $11,613 grant to help purchase and install a 36-kilowatt solar system, which will help save over $4,500 in energy costs annually.
Buck Creek Bungalows LLC (Somerset) will use a $5,223 grant to help purchase and install a 9.6-kilowatt solar system, which will help save over $1,000 in energy costs annually.
Aurora Farms LLC (Shelbyville) will use a $15,444 grant to help purchase and install a 14.7-kilowatt solar system, which will help save over $2,500 in energy costs annually.
Royal Diamond Farms LLC (Guthrie) will use a $19,943 grant to help purchase and install a high-efficiency grain dryer, which will help save over $3,200 in energy costs annually.
Thomas Farms (Morganfield) will use a $9,794 grant to help purchase and install a 30-kilowatt solar system, which will help save almost $2,700 in energy costs annually.
Thomas Farms (Morganfield) will also use a $20,000 grant to help purchase and install a high-efficiency grain dryer, which will help save over $1,300 in energy costs annually.
The department is announcing investments today in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA 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.
The 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, 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.