Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says his agency is awarding $266 million in loans and grants to agriculture producers and rural small businesses. The funds will be for making investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operations.
“Creating opportunity for rural communities means investing in farmers, ranchers, and small businesses,” Vilsack says. “These funds will make sure our producers and business owners are not only a part of the clean energy economy but are also directly benefiting from it.”
The secretary also says these once-in-a-generation investments in renewable energy, like wind and solar, and energy-efficient technologies create new markets and deliver real cost savings for our small and mid-sized agricultural operations and Main Street businesses, building and keeping wealth in rural America. The department is making the funds available through the Rural Energy for America Program.