Farm Energy

The USDA has now released this year’s funding notice for feasibility studies under REAP – the Rural Energy for America Program. Feasibility studies evaluate the likelihood of renewable project success in consideration of technical, financial, management and other factors. USDA requires feasibility studies for project funding under REAP where project costs exceed $200,000.

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This week ELPC organized and held well-attended briefings in Washington D.C. to educate House and Senate staff on the environmental and energy benefits of sustainably-grown “energy crops.” ELPC, in partnership with National Farmers Union (NFU) and the 25x’25 Alliance, convened the briefings, which featured speakers from ELPC, National Wildlife Federation, the University of Illinois, and industry organizations.

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(May 27, 2010) Today the USDA released the FY2010 funding notice for grants under Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance (also known as “Energy Technical Assistance”). The deadline for applications is 4:30 PM on July 26, 2010.

Energy Technical Assistance was created under the 2008 Farm Bill and provides ways to identify cost-effective opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures by rural agricultural producers and rural small businesses. A total of $2.4 million is available under this program for 2010 and the maximum grant is $100,000.

The eligible organizations under this program include units of State, tribal, or local government; land-grant colleges and universities and other institutions of higher education, rural electric cooperatives; and public power entities.

Applicants should follow the guidelines in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) carefully. The NOFA provides the criteria for scoring the competitive applications and information on how the application should be organized.

The NOFA can be downloaded here. (PDF format)

For the first time, the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) was included in major federal energy legislation. On May 12, 2010, John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) included REAP in the American Power Act, a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill. Previously, REAP has only been in Farm Bills.

As described in the short summary of the American Power Act:

Additionally, the bill supports the Rural Energy for America Program, which has already reduced costs and created thousands of new clean energy jobs across rural America.

To help spur the development and deployment of clean energy technologies economy wide, the American Power Act will include REAP at a level nearly three times the FY2010 funding of $99.34 million. The American Power Act seeks to jumpstart our transition to a clean energy economy, creating jobs and investment nation-wide and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.  The bill would also provide direct support to energy consumers and incentivize energy efficiency and renewable energy development.

Though the REAP program was included in the official bill summaries, it was inadvertently omitted from the discussion draft and will be included in later revisions.

This Congress has pledged to pass either a climate or a clean energy bill. REAP serves the goals of either type of bill:

• REAP cuts carbon pollution with energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment through rural economic development.
• REAP helps energy independence and energy security by reducing energy waste with energy efficiency and increasing distributed – and resilient – energy systems.

In an interview for the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, ELPC Senior Policy Advocate Andy Olsen explains how programs that help farmers take advantage of clean energy are good for our economy, our environment and our energy security.

One program that’s made thousands of new clean energy projects possible is the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). ELPC’s Farm Energy Success Stories report highlights clean energy projects on farms and rural small businesses across the country that are saving money, creating new income and reducing pollution. ELPC is advocating to expand REAP and other farm energy programs. Listen to the interview here.

(April 26, 2010) Today, the USDA issued the Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The announcement can be downloaded here (PDF) and focuses on grants and loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Two more notices are expected in the following days for energy technical assistance and for feasibility studies. (more…)