By Cecilia Lynch
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that USDA is investing $18,211,903 in 183 projects across the state to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for Iowa agricultural producers and rural small business owners with funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
“Producers and small businesses across the state are saving money, growing their businesses, and addressing climate change by investing in solar projects and making energy efficiency improvements through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program,” said Director Greenfield. “The Biden-Harris Administration is hard at work making sure as many Iowans as possible can access the historic Inflation Reduction Act funding to make clean energy improvements at their farms and businesses.”
Today’s projects are part of a larger nation-wide announcement for the REAP program. A list of the nationwide investments may be found online here.
Latest REAP grants in Iowa
A full list of today’s awards in Iowa is available online here and includes these five examples:
-CS Solar LLC received a $206,792 grant to help install a 29 kilowatt rooftop solar system and a 164 kW ground solar system on city property in Decorah. This project in Winneshiek County is expected to generate $40,987 per year in energy sales, which is enough electricity to power 23 homes.
-Red Lion Creston Schools Solar LLC, an electric generation company, received a $1,000,000 grant to help install solar arrays totaling 1,771 kilowatts in Creston. This project in Union County will generate 2,346,020 kilowatt hours per year, amounting to $151,822 per year. This is enough electricity to power 216 homes.
-Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC received a $1,000,000 grant to install a slurry heating and reduced backset system at its dry-mill ethanol production facility in rural Pottawattamie County. This project is expected to realize $3,181,600 per year in savings and to replace 36,688,453 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 3,385 homes.
-Red Lion Knoxville Waterworks Solar LLC, an electric generation company, received a $800,000 grant to help install solar arrays totaling 1,056 kilowatts at six locations in Knoxville, in Marion County. This project is expected to generate 1,340,560 kilowatt hours per year, amounting to $81,499 per year. This is enough electricity to power 123 homes.
-Mara Transport Inc., a family-owned and operated over-the-road trucking business located in Marshall County, received a $21,949 grant to help install a 34.6 kilowatt solar array for business needs. This project is expected to save $5,584.67 per year and to replace 33,968 kilowatt hours—100 percent of the business energy usage—per year, which is enough energy to power three homes.
Background
As a core pillar of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in climate action in history. It is also the largest single investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
The Biden-Harris Administration championed the Inflation Reduction Act to help provide new funding and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs and spur economic growth. It is lowering energy costs, bringing opportunity to communities across America and tackling the climate crisis through investments in agriculture, forest restoration and rural communities.
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loans to help ag producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar and other forms of clean energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, address climate change and lower energy costs for American families.
USDA continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information on application deadlines and submission details, see page 19239 of the March 31 Federal Register.
REAP is part of the Justice40 Initiative, which is working to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments reach communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.
Source : usda.gov