USDA Offers Grants and Loans for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects

If your business is located in a rural area and your firm has an energy-related project you’ve been wanting to pursue, you might consider looking into funding from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

In January, the USDA announced that it is now seeking applications to provide assistance to rural small businesses to complete a variety of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects. For 2012, USDA has more than $25 million available to fund REAP activities, which will support grants and guaranteed loan programs.

Specifically, the agency is accepting the following applications:
• Renewable energy system and energy-efficiency-improvement grant applications and combination grant and guaranteed loan applications (until March 30, 2012);
• Renewable energy system and energy-efficiency-improvement guaranteed loan-only applications (up to June 29, 2012);
• Renewable energy system feasibility study applications (through March 30, 2012); and
• Energy audits and renewable energy development assistance applications (through February 21, 2012).
The USDA reports that a “rural small business” is one located outside of major metropolitan areas and has fewer than 500 employees.

Further information on rural programs is available on the USDA Rural Development website at www.rurdev.usda.gov.