The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently accepting applications for grants and loan guarantees through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Rural small businesses and agricultural producers are eligible to apply for grants and loans to fund renewable energy systems and to purchase, install and construct energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also use these funds to install energy efficient equipment and systems for production or processing. State and local governments are eligible to apply for funding to conduct energy audits and provide development assistance. The deadline to submit grant only applications is November 1, 2021, and loan and grant combined applications is March 31, 2022.

REAP is administered by USDA Rural Development (RD), and loans for this program are under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative, which was created to streamline the RD loan process. REAP provides funding for renewable energy systems such as biomass, wind and solar generation, and geothermal systems. For more information on REAP, interested applicants can contact their local USDA RD State Energy Coordinator or click here.

Counties support the increased use and promotion of wind energy as well as the development of biomass fuels, which reduce pollution and generate revenue for our nation’s farmers. NACo will continue to keep members informed of future funding opportunities.