STILLWATER, Okla. (OBV) – Rural Oklahoma small businesses and farms can receive help with energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects thanks to a federal grant for which they can now apply.
The Oklahoma State Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is now accepting Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant applications.
More than $5.2 million is potentially available to rural businesses and agriculture producers who apply for as much as 40 percent in financial assistance toward energy efficient improvement, according to a USDA news release.
Grant recipients have previously used the grant to obtain LED lighting, energy-efficient fans, improved refrigeration and solar power, as well as on other energy efficient projects.
“These grants can be used by a small grocery store to install improved refrigeration units or an ag producer that wants to save costs on cooling for a chicken farm,” said Kenneth Corn, USDA Rural Development Oklahoma State Director. “Really any small business owner in Rural Oklahoma can benefit from this program with an energy efficient improvement project. Not only do these grants help save Oklahoma businesses or ag producers on their electric bill, but they also have real impact on our electric grid and our climate by reducing energy demand. By increasing the investments available in Oklahoma from previous years, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to demonstrate how serious they are at finding climate-friendly solutions that benefit all Americans and grow our economy.”
Applicants must submit their grant package to the Oklahoma State Office by 4:30 p.m. on March 31, 2023.
Click here to learn more about the REAP process.
REAP is also providing loans to agricultural producers and rural small businesses.
Individuals who qualify for the REAP loan include agricultural producers from both rural and nonrural areas who earn at least 50 percent of their gross income from agricultural operations, as well as small businesses in rural areas with populations of 50,000 people or less.
Individual borrowers must be U.S. citizens who reside in the U.S., while private entity borrowers must show that their loan funds will remain in the U.S.
Read the REAP Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants fact sheet below for more information:
