Funding Announced at Clean Energy Roundtable Hosted by REAP Recipient Manufacture Nevada
RENO, Nev., Oct. 9, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting Deputy Under Secretary Lillian Salerno and USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad today announced at a clean energy roundtable hosted by Manufacture Nevada at the University of Nevada, Reno that USDA is awarding two grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to Fisher Space Pen Company and Menezes Bros Inc.
Those grants, $196,069 and $477,500 respectively, will help support their recipients to operate sustainably while positioning them for economic success through lowered energy costs and increased climate resilience. Manufacture Nevada also previously received a $250,000 REAP Technical Assistance Grant to support REAP applications from rural agricultural producers and small businesses. In FY24, USDA Rural Development obligated over $2.1 million in REAP investments to support rural small businesses and agricultural producers.
"The Biden-Harris administration believes everyone should have access to affordable energy, regardless of where they live," said Acting Deputy Under Secretary Lillian Salerno. "That's why USDA Rural Development is investing in clean energy solutions to help lower energy costs for small businesses and help drive growth in Nevada and across the country."
“The Biden-Harris Administration understands that agricultural producers and small businesses are part of the backbone of rural Nevada,” said State Director Ingvoldstad. “The economic achievements and ingenuity of changemakers and innovators in the Silver State should be rewarded, and I’m proud to see REAP funding go to recipients poised for both sustainability and success far into the future. We look forward to seeing Manufacture Nevada, Fisher Space Pen Company and Menezes Bros Inc continue their creative use of energy efficient technologies for decades to come.”
The roundtable also explored other USDA Rural Development investments, two awards in the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, with $80 million awarded to Valley Electric Association and a $13 million award for Harney Electric Cooperative up for approval.
This $196,069 Rural Development investment in Fisher Space Pen Company will be used to purchase an addition of a roof membrane, additional insulation, evaporative cooler replacements that are energy and water efficient. The small business will save $13,000 in energy costs per year. This investment is located in Boulder City, Nevada.
This $477,500 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) investment in Menezes Bros Inc. will be used to purchase and install a net metering solar installation of approximately 500 kilowatts (kW), saving $93,000 per year. This project will occupy under-productive farmland or non-irrigated land previously removed from agricultural production. This investment is located in Sparks, Nevada.
Also present during the announcement of these investments during the Clean Energy Roundtable were representatives from Valley Electric Association, Western Nevada Development District, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Clean Energy for All, Manufacture Nevada, and America Battery.
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