The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is accepting applications for grants and guaranteed loans to support renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Funding is available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) under the following two categories:
1) Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans and Grants
Eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses may apply to install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements to their operations. Eligible renewable energy systems include those that produce energy from wind, solar, renewable biomass (including anaerobic digesters), ocean, geothermal sources, hydrogen derived from renewable resources, and small hydroelectric sources.
Applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency grants of $20,000 or less are due by October 31, 2016, for the first funding cycle. For the second funding cycle, applications are due by March 31, 2017.
Applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency grants of greater than $20,000 and all combination grant and guaranteed loan applications are due by March 31, 2017. Applications for grants or for guaranteed loan and grant combinations that are received after that date will be considered in fiscal year 2018, which begins on October 1, 2017. Guaranteed loan applications will be reviewed and processed when received, with periodic competitions.
2) Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants
State, tribal, and local governments; institutions of higher education; rural electric cooperatives; and public power entities may apply for grant funds to deliver energy audits and renewable energy development assistance to rural small businesses and agricultural producers. The application deadline for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance grants is January 31, 2017.
REAP grant funding is very competitive in Oregon. Prior to developing an application, interested applicants are encouraged to contact our office to discuss their projects with John Holman, Oregon Energy Coordinator, at (503) 414-3369 or john.holman@or.usda.gov.
For additional information, also see page 71689 of the October 18, 2016, Federal Register.
Congress created REAP in the 2002 Farm Bill and reauthorized it in the 2014 Farm Bill with guaranteed funding of no less than $50 million annually for the duration of the five-year bill. Nationwide, USDA has helped finance more than 12,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects through REAP since 2009. When fully operational, these projects will generate or save enough energy to power more than 750,000 homes and replace more than 36 million barrels of oil annually.