Press Release
☷Department of Agriculture Department of Energy Launch Initiative to Help Farmers Reduce Costs with Underutilized Renewable Technologies as part of President Biden s Investing in America Agenda
U.S. Department of Agriculture ( By Press Release office)
Feb 28,2024
| 0| 0
The USDA and DOE are teaming up to launch a new initiative aimed at helping farmers save money and make more income by using renewable technologies like smaller - scale wind projects . The goal is to assist 400 individual farmers in deploying these projects through the REAP program , thanks to funding from the Inflation Reduction Act . The DOE is also providing funding for testing and commercializing distributed wind technologies , as well as supporting outreach and the development of new business models for farmers . This partnership is part of the Biden - Harris Administration ' s efforts to boost the economy and create opportunities for small and mid - sized farmers . USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm expressed their excitement about the potential for clean energy in rural communities . Through the RAISE initiative , both departments are working together to support the growth of distributed wind technology in the agricultural sector . The USDA and DOE are teaming up to host a webinar series to give information to farmers , rural electric cooperatives , farm associations , and small - scale wind providers . We want to show them how they can use our programs to develop wind projects in their areas . The first webinar will launch a new National Distributed Wind Network and Resource Hub on March 14 , 2024 . Background: There are a bunch of cool underutilized technologies that farmers and rural communities can benefit from . The USDA and DOE are teaming up through the RAISE initiative to help educate , outreach , research , and provide technical assistance to small and mid - sized farmers . We want to help them save money and make money from these technologies . We ' re also calling for proposals for up to $2 . 5 million for the Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project . This project supports the development , testing , certification , and commercialization of distributed wind technology . We ' re specifically focusing on getting distributed wind turbines into the agricultural sector . The Wind Energy Technologies Office is giving $1 . 5 million for research and outreach on new business models for farmers to make money from distributed wind . We ' re even looking into farm associations that could help out and get paid for their services . These distributed clean energy projects can save farmers and rural small businesses money and bring in some extra income . They also help with energy independence , grid reliability , and make sure there ' s backup power available , especially when paired with energy storage . We ' re also working on a farmers guide to distributed wind power . It ' ll include technical , economic , and geospatial analysis on wind technologies , along with ways to finance smaller - scale projects . Distributed wind , for example , can help farms meet their energy needs and save on electricity costs . It could also benefit multiple farms and the local electricity utility , earning revenue for the hosting farms . We ' ve got $75 million in grant funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for REAP underutilized technology projects . This includes stuff like smaller - scale wind projects owned by farmers , small - scale hydropower , geothermal , biomass - based , and other clean energy options . We ' re also putting an emphasis on helping smaller - scale wind projects by providing technical assistance through different programs . These projects also help create jobs and investments in rural economies , with about a third of the project value usually being invested in local communities through construction jobs and maintenance . These projects also give farmers , rural electric coops , and food companies the chance to address climate change . DOE has partnered with industry and national labs to develop a new generation of reliable , high - performing , and cost - effective distributed wind technologies that meet national performance standards and are better than previous generations . DOE works to ensure America ' s security and prosperity by tackling energy , environmental , and nuclear challenges through innovative science and technology solutions . Find out more about DOE ' s efforts to advance distributed wind and sign up for the Wind Energy Technologies Office ' s newsletter . USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help boost economic opportunities , create jobs , and improve quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas . This assistance supports infrastructure improvements , business development , housing , community facilities like schools , public safety , and healthcare , as well as high - speed internet access in rural , tribal , and high - poverty areas . Check out the Rural Data Gateway to see how and where these investments are making a difference in rural America . To receive USDA Rural Development updates , visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page . USDA positively impacts the lives of all Americans every day in so many ways . To find out more , visit www . usda . gov . #USDA is an equal opportunity provider , employer , and lender .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
