The USDA has announced more funding to construct more clean energy options for rural America. The agency says that it is offering $145 million in funding for 700 loan and grant awards through the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP, “to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to reduce energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resiliency of their operations.”
The program covers technologies such as wind, renewable biomass, ocean, geothermal, green hydrogen, solar, and hydropower.
While wind generators and solar farms are commonplace around Iowa, you may be wondering where hydropower fits into rural American energy grids. Elise DeGeorge of the National Energy Laboratory talks about work being done to build more river-based dam systems.
Hydropower is what is being referred to as “place-based” clean energy.
Hydropower takes a little different application process than wind generators and solar power. DeGeorge offers some tips to those who are interested.
Agricultural producers and rural small business owners who want to learn more about renewable energy concepts can visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Energy Basics page at www.nrel.gov/research/learning.html.
Anyone interested in applying for USDA’s REAP funding is encouraged to contact their local USDA State Energy Coordinators for more information. Interested applicants can also visit rd.usda.gov. Enter Rural Energy for America (REAP) in the search box.
