REAP offers grants, guaranteed loans and combination grant/guaranteed loans to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses plan, purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements in rural areas. Available funding for FY 2010 is $99,371,998.  Of this budget authority $2,617,000 has been allocated to the California State Office of Rural Development to fund grant and loan guarantee applications for California projects.  Grants and loan guarantees are awarded on a competitive basis.

Deadlines

• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects - grants, loan guarantees and combination grants/loan guarantees
  (see the 2010 NOSA)
       Application deadline: June 30, 2010
       Click here for a description of the application process, competition guidelines for State's allocations and funding  
       priorities
   

• Feasibility Study grant applications
  (see the 2010 NOSA)
       Grant application deadline: October 5, 2010
                                        

• Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance grant applications
  (see the 2010 NOSA)
       Grant application deadline: July 26, 2010
      

Eligibility
     for REAP grants, loan guarantees, and feasibility studies for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy projects

• Project must be located in a rural area, which is defined as any area other than a city or metropolitan statistical area that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants.  To determine if a project is located in an eligible rural area use this map.

• Applicant is an agriculture producer (including nurseries and dairies), which is defined as an individual or business entity that receives at least 50% of gross income from agriculture or a small business, which is determined in accordance with the Small Business Administration's (SBA) size standards (by NAICS codes).  SBA small business size standards can be found at www.sba.gov/size/index.html.

• Grant applicants must provide certification of demonstrated financial need.

• Majority ownership of an applicant must be held by US citizens or permanent residents.

• Nonprofits and public projects are not eligible. Applicants are also not eligible if there is an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal court, are delinquent in paying Federal income taxes, are delinquent on a Federal debt or have been debarred from receiving Federal assistance.
   

• NOTE: In the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant Program, the grant application is either a government entity, institution of higher education, rural electric cooperative or public power entity.  See the NOSA for details regarding applicant eligibility for this specific section of REAP.

Rural Energy Loan and Grant Program Information

REAP Policy and Regulations

• Farm Bill* (pdf)
  *This is a link to the complete Conference Report for the 2008 Farm Bill.  The document is 673 pages.  Title IX (Energy) begins on page 421 of the document.

• 7 CFR Part 4280

• RD Instruction 4280-B

• 2009 NOSA - Energy Audits & Renewable Energy Development Assistance

• 2009 NOSA - Renewable Energy Systems; Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants; Guaranteed Loans; Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Grants

• 2010 NOSA - Renewable Energy Systems; Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants and Guaranteed Loans

• RD AN No 4505 - Rural Energy for America Program Scoring