Oregon Business & Cooperative Programs

~Oregon Rural Energy Portal~
(last updated June 15, 2009)

Back to RD-Oregon Business Programs homepage

• Rural energy program overview
   
• Energy projects funded recently in Oregon

• REAP Grants - for equipment & real estate improvements
• REAP Guaranteed Loans - for equipment & real estate improvements

USDA Rural Development’s renewable energy programs support wind, solar, biomass, biofuels, geothermal, anaerobic digester, & micro-hydro projects.  (Ocean energy projects may be eligible on a limited basis.)

• REAP Grants - for equipment & real estate improvements
• REAP Guaranteed Loans - for equipment & real estate improvements

• REAP-Energy Audit Grants - to support energy audits and renewable energy development assistance programs

• REAP-Feasibility Study Grants -to support feasibility studies for prospective renewable energy projects

• Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) - for planning or working capital for on-farm renewable energy projects & for biofuels

• Other funding sources for energy projects in Oregon - Oregon is blessed with a rich array of energy incentives; here are some of the main ones.
   

• Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE)

  • Business Energy Tax Credits (BETC)

  • State Energy Loan Program (SELP)

• Energy Trust - primarily for customers of PGE, Pacific Power, & NW Natural

• Bonneville Power Administration

• Blue Sky Renewable Energy Project Funding - for customers of Pacific Power
   

• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Opportunities for Oregon's Agricultural Producers - resource guide by Oregon Department of Agriculture

  • Oregon Department of Agriculture

• Energy Self Assessment tool - an online self-test by USDA NRCS for various ag operations on potential energy efficiency improvements - includes greenhouses, irrigation, dairies, livestock, lighting, potato storage, etc.
   

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - "Save Energy Save Money" web site for farmers & landowners

• USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)

  • Biomass Crop Assistance Program - payments for producers & collectors of feedstock for biomass energy (e.g., farmers & forestland producers)

• US Department of Energy

  • DOE's Tribal Energy Program

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
   

• 2008 Farm Bill energy programs fact sheet - sample costs & benefits from a solar photovoltaic system

• Solar Photovoltaic
• Solar Thermal
• Small Wind
• Large Wind

   2008 Farm Bill changes

The 2008 Farm Bill authorized a number of new rural energy programs and revised some of RD's existing programs.  Details are still being worked out, and implementing regulations are under development.  Among the changes:

• The old §9006 grant and loan guarantee program is revised, expanded, and renamed "REAP" (Rural Energy for America Program).

• The VAPG program is reauthorized.
• A new Biorefinery Guaranteed Program is authorized.
• A new Advanced Biofuels Payment Program is authorized.

Details on these and other programs will be provided as information become available.

• Farm Bill energy programs fact sheet

Inactive Programs

The following programs are no longer available.  They were active in FY2002-2008.  The 2008 Farm Bill updated and replaced them.  These links are for informational purposes only.

• 9006 Renewable Energy Grants - this program has been replaced by the REAP program above
• 9006 Energy Efficiency Grants - this program has been replaced by the REAP program above
• 9006 Guaranteed Loans - this program has been replaced by the REAP program above

RD-Oregon contacts for rural energy

• Contacts

• Sign up for e-mail notices about RD rural energy programs

• Not from Oregon?  Find your local RD contact