Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is making significant investments in critical U.S. infrastructure.
Vilsack, “$285 million is going to be made available to 844 projects across 46 states. This $285 million is in the form of $40.4 million in grants and it’s providing loan guarantees for $244 million. These 844 projects, as I said, represent a wide range of renewable energy systems being supported, the purchase installation and construction of energy efficiency improvements, and-or work that’s being done to improve the energy efficiency of agricultural production or processing.”
The funds come from the Rural Energy for America Program, which he calls one of the agency’s “most successful” programs. The funds will expand access to clean energy for people across rural America, lower energy costs, and help with climate change.
He talks about a second funding announcement via the Inflation Reduction Act.
“A portion of that inflation Reduction Act makes a historic investment in clean energy for rural America; up to a billion dollars of Rural Utility Service loans for renewable energy infrastructure, more than two billion dollars being made available for this Rural Energy for America program. And we are announcing today our intent to essentially make available $300 million of additional opportunity in the REAP program, 250 million of which will be coming from sort of the first installment and investment under the inflation Reduction Act, and then over $2 billion being made available to rural development for the Rural Energy for America Program.”
Again, USDA is making 844 investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. The deadline to apply for grants is March 31, 2023. Applications for technical assistance grants are due January 31, 2023. Applications for loan guarantees are accepted year-round.
