USDA offers rural energy program

USDA Rural Development Nevada announced the approval of $59,813 in energy grants to rural businesses to replace 565 gallons of liquid propane per year with solar thermal water heaters, save 3,115 therms of natural gas per year through efficiency upgrades and produce 83,422 kWh of green energy per year with solar photovoltaic systems.

Reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, the Rural Energy for America Program helps enhance renewable energy use and energy efficiency with grants covering 25 percent of a total project cost and guarantee loans covering up to 75 percent of the total project cost. The latest round of Nevada grants helped seven rural businesses.

?We made a big push to get the word out about REAP with workshops across Nevada, and I am pleased with the number of grants going to small businesses and agricultural producers,? said USDA RD Nevada State Director Sarah Adler. ?With many REAP grants approved and more in the works our goal now is to work with rural lenders to get additional large REAP guaranteed loans approved.?