Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding To Create Jobs, Reduce Energy Costs

20 Dec 2011

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced loans and grants for agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. The funding is provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager made the announcement on behalf of Secretary Vilsack while attending an energy efficiency conference here today.

“Stable energy costs create an environment for job growth in rural America,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration is helping agricultural producers and business owners reduce their energy costs and consumption – and by doing so is helping preserve our natural resources, protect the environment and strengthen the bottom line for businesses, ranchers and farm operations.”

Collectively, these REAP-funded projects announced today, and those announced earlier by USDA are expected to lower energy usage by 2 billion kilowatts and prevent nearly 2 million metric tons of emissions from being released into the environment. Today’s announcement concludes the REAP awards cycle for 2011. REAP, authorized through the 2008 Farm Bill, provides loans and grants for farmers, ranchers and rural small business owners to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. These federal dollars are leveraged with other funding sources for the projects.

To read full USDA press release click here.