Farmers, REAP the benefits: USDA gives away $60 million for Energy Efficiency Projects

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Glenda Humiston, State Director USDA Rural Development along with REAP Grant Recipients, JT and Pryor Farms, and Talbott Solar's Dean Newberry

Farmers, rural businesses, ranchers-here is your chance to fund your energy efficiency/renewable energy projects! Apply for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant. Total funding pool is $60million. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking to name several grant and loan recipients to help them along their path to sustainability, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Deadline extended to 31 May 2013. 

We, at Talbott Solar, had the pleasure of working with Pryor Farms in Winton and JT Farms in Woodland in 2009. Both were recipients of REAP grants which subsidized 25% of their solar system’s costs. With Pryor Farm’s $13,270 grant, we were able to install a solar photovoltaic system, which continues to provide electricity for their farm’s irrigation pump. JT Farm’s $19,964 grant permitted us to install a photovoltaic system that subsidizes 18,460 kWh of electricity each year. Both of these systems are still on track to eventually gain a 100% return on investment.

Working on this project opened our eyes to the importance of supporting our local farmers, ranchers, and rural businesses along the path to sustainability. Grants like REAP are especially needed as farmers battle with rising electricity costs associated, in large part, for irrigation pumping. We invite all qualifiers to apply for this extraordinary opportunity and hope that we stay in mind when selecting a solar installer.  

The REAP grant application (deadline 31 May 2013) can be accessed and downloaded off of the USDA’s website for Rural Development: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ORreap_renew_grants.html