Feds award aid to rural business owners, farmers and ranchers for renewable energy projects

Press release

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last Wednesday that USDA is awarding $266 million in loans and grants to agriculture producers and rural small businesses to make investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operation.

This funding is made possible in part through the Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis.

“Creating opportunity for rural communities means investing...