REAP Report: 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released a report highlighting the Obama Administration’s progress in helping rural small businesses, farmers and ranchers improve energy efficiency and generate power from wind, solar, anaerobic digestion and other renewable sources. 

The report highlights how the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program has assisted individual applicants to control power costs and in some cases, generate power for sale. The program is part of President Obama’s “all of the above” approach for a new era in American energy policy which includes homegrown and alternative energy sources. Click Here to view the report.

To go to the USDA Rural Development Energy web site for forms, please go here.

NEW! US Department of Agriculture Energy Webpage: www.USDA.gov/energy

 

General Information:

Click here to watch a short video about REAP featured in Growing Georgia, The Business of Agriculture

Section 9007 of the 2008 Farm Bill established a grant, loan, and loan guarantee program to assist eligible farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in purchasing renewable energy systems and for making energy efficiency improvements.

Eligible projects include those that derive energy from a wind, solar, biomass, micro-hydro or geothermal source, or hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar, or geothermal energy sources. Awards will be made on a competitive basis for the purchase of renewable energy systems and to make energy improvements

 FY 2012 Allocation

The Fiscal Year 2012 allocation for REAP was announced on January 19, 2012; Click here for details.

Deadline to apply was March 30, 2012

Grant Purposes:

Grant funds must be used to finance and develop small and emerging private business enterprises in rural areas. The following 
is a list of some of the eligible purposes: 

  • Purchase and installation of equipment

  • Construction and improvements

  • Energy audits

  • Permit fees

  • Professional service fees

  • Feasibility Studies

  • Business plans

  • Retrofitting

 Biomass and Solar Systems Grants Info

 Energy Efficiency Grant Info

 

What Can You Not Do With These Funds?

Grant funds cannot be used to:

  • Purchase land

  • Provide working capital

  • Research and Development

  • Residential improvements

  • Vehicles

  • Waste collections

Who Is Eligible?

These grants can be made to farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.  Farmers or ranchers must receive more than 50% of their annual income from their farming operation.  Rural Small businesses must be the SBA definition of a small business. 

Other Criteria:

  • Applicants must be located in a rural area.

 

Loan and Grant Amounts:

Grants for Renewable Energy Systems have a maximum limit of $500,000 and a minimum of $2,500.  Grants for Energy Efficiency Improvements have a maximum of $250,000 and a minimum of $1,500.  The maximum loan is $10,000,000 or 50% of project costs, whichever is less.

Where Do You Apply?

Individuals may contact the Renewable Energy Coordinator at 770-267-1413 ext. 113. To obtain additional information and/or to request an application, please click here.  Applications or information requests should be mailed to:

Craig Scroggs
USDA Rural Development
111 E. Spring St.
Monroe, GA  30655
(office)  770-267-1413 ext. 113
(cell)  404-229-5720
e-mail:  craig.scroggs@ga.usda.gov

You may also contact our Specialist in South Georgia,

Al Burns.
USDA Rural Development
2406 N. Tift Ave
Suite 103
Tifton, GA  31794
(office) 229-382-0273
(cell)  229-220-5067
e-mail:  al.burns@ga.usda.gov