New round of agriculture grants to help energy efficiency for rural Kentucky businesses

A round of federal grants from the Rural Energy for America Program will help rural businesses lower their energy bills while expanding their green energy footprint.

$670,000 dollars are going to 11 rural businesses to help their energy efficiency projects. That includes new solar installations, lighting or insulation.

Scott Maas is the USDA’s program directo for Rural Business and Cooperative Services. He says most of that money goes to solar.

“We also do a variety of energy efficiency projects, from grain dryers to lighting, HVAC systems, insulation,” Maas said. “We use a variety of different replacements for energy efficiency, but solar is the most active right now.”

The full list of businesses receiving funding includes:

• Barr Farms Organic Produce LLC (Breckinridge County)
• The Extra Mile LLC (Pike County)
• Canup Inc. (Jessamine County)
• Westside Farms LLC (Pulaski County)
• Denali Stud Inc. (Bourbon County)
• Stephen J. Powers (Hancock County)
• Thermalcell Insulation Inc. (Webster County)
• Castle’s Properties Inc. (Johnson County)
• Outland Farms LLC (Christian County)
• Marlin David Miller (Franklin County)
• Solar Energy Living LLC (Laurel County)

Tom Carew is the USDA’s Director of Rural Development for Kentucky. He says the program is also meant to help promote economic growth in rural areas.

“Rural Kentucky faces many, many challenges, as we all know, especially in the persistent poverty counties,” Carew said. “So we can help the bottom line of a business that's operating in those communities.”

The deadline for the current REAP application cycle is September 30.

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