Grants available to organizations to help Montana ag producers apply for renewable energy funding

Press release

BOZEMAN — U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in Montana acting state director Jake Ceartin announced Tuesday that organizations with capacity to provide assistance to agricultural producers applying for Rural Energy for America Program grants can now apply for funding to facilitate these efforts.

“Agricultural producers are the backbone of rural and tribal economies in Montana but conceivably are at a disadvantage because they lack the capacity to access funding from programs like REAP,” Ceartin said. “This investment underscores USDA’s continued commitment to rural small businesses by giving them the tools to access funding that will help them continue to grow and remain assets to their communities.”

The REAP Technical Assistance Grants Program funds organizations to support farmers and small business owners that apply for federal funds to install renewable energy systems. This program works together with REAP to create new economic opportunities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make energy more affordable for rural and Tribal small businesses and agricultural producers.

USDA is making $16 million available through the REAP TA Grants Program. Eligible recipients include state, tribal or local governments, universities, electric cooperatives, utility companies, and for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Late last year, USDA Rural Development awarded $500,000 through this program to two Montana organizations:

The Montana Department of Agriculture in Helena received a $250,000 REAP TA grant and will partner with 11 Montana Food and Agricultural Development Centers to provide direct technical assistance to agricultural producers and small businesses in distressed and disadvantaged rural and tribal communities.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte received a $250,000 REAP TA grant to work with three development organizations in the state and provide outreach and direct technical assistance to applicants on Native American reservations. The expected outcome will improve operational economic sustainability through increased energy savings.

During the last fiscal year which ended Sept. 30, 2023, Montana awarded more than $2.8 million in Rural Energy for America Program grants to 50 rural small businesses and agricultural producers so they could make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy systems.

This year’s REAP TA applications must be submitted by 9:59 p.m. Mountain Time March 15, 2024. For additional information and submission details, people can see page 12815 of the Feb. 20, 2024, Federal Register.

To learn more about the REAP TA grant program in Montana, contact Daniel Layton, Rural Business and Cooperative Services Program specialist, at [email protected].

USDA Rural Development provides grants, loans, and loan guarantees to support infrastructure improvements, business development, affordable housing, community facilities, and expand high-speed internet access in rural and Tribal areas.

For more information, people can visit https://www.rd.usda.gov.