USDA Invests $464 Million in Renewable Energy Infrastructure to Help Rural Communities, Businesses and Ag Producers Build Back Better

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13 Projects Will Support Climate-Smart Solutions to Lower Energy Costs in Pennsylvania

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $464 million to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help rural communities, agricultural producers and businesses lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico.

“USDA continues to prioritize climate-smart infrastructure to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before,” Vilsack said. “We recognize that lowering energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers helps to expand economic development and employment opportunities for people in America’s rural towns and communities. The investments we are announcing today demonstrate how the Biden-Harris Administration has put rural communities at the heart of climate action and climate-smart solutions.”

USDA is financing $129 million of these investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. This program provides funding to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. These climate-smart investments will conserve and generate more than 379 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in rural America, which equates to enough electricity to power 35,677 homes per year.

USDA is financing $335 million of these investments through the Electric Loan Program. The loans will help build or improve 1,432 miles of line to strengthen reliability in rural areas. The loans include $102 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital communications to detect and react to local changes in electricity usage.

In Pennsylvania, USDA Rural Development invested $173,432 in REAP grants for 13 projects:

  • Whiskey Hollow LLC was awarded a $20,000 grant to make energy efficiency improvements to the reverse osmosis and evaporator equipment utilized for maple syrup production. This project is expected to lower the company’s energy use by 88 percent per year.
  • Linford Sensenig was awarded a $11,750 grant to purchase and install a 27.2 kilowatt roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roof of a storage building at the facility which offers variable sizes of storage units that are climate controlled, have security lighting for surveillance, and ground level access. This project will save an energy savings of $3,468 per year and will replace 30,858 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough electricity to power two homes annually.
  • Zody’s Moving & Storage Inc. was awarded a grant of $20,000 to purchase and install a 55.2-kilowatt roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roofs of two buildings located on the moving and storage company’s property. This project will save an energy savings of $6,503 per year and will replace 60,569 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough electricity to power five homes annually.
  • North Gilpin Street LLC was awarded a grant of $4,468 to purchase and install a 12-kilowatt roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roof of a building at the commercial rental business site. This project will save an energy savings of $1,737 per year and will replace 14,367 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power one home annually.
  • Holy Cow Farm was awarded a grant of $6,750 to purchase and install a 14.96-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roof of an equipment shed building on the farm, which specializes in sustainably grown specialty cut flowers and hops. This project will realize an energy savings of $1,089 per year and will replace 9,233 kilowatt hours of electricity per year or 56 percent of the farm’s energy needs.
  • Sechrist Farms was awarded a grant of $18,000 to purchase and install a 24-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roof of an agriculture building on the farm. This project will realize an energy savings of $4,498 per year and will replace 28,655 kilowatt hours of electricity per year or 100 percent of the farm’s energy needs, which is enough electricity to power two homes annually.
  • A Rural Development investment of $10,000 was awarded to help John Kreider dba Kreider Property Improvement purchase and install a 36-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that will be placed on the roof of the rental property business. This project will save $4,165 per year and replace 38,311 kilowatt hours of electricity per year or 103 percent of the business needs, which is enough electricity to power three homes annually.
  • Greenleaf Nibert was awarded a grant of $5,454 to assist with the purchase and installation of a 28.22-kilowatt ground-mount solar photovoltaic system. This project will save the family-owned cabinet manufacturing business $4,409 per year and will replace 33,870 kilowatt hours of electricity (92 percent of the company’s energy use) annually, which is enough energy to power 3 homes.
  • Little Ridge Country Market was awarded a grant of $20,000 to purchase and install a 69.6-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. The solar panels will be installed on the roof of the chicken house on the poultry farm, whose main operation is raising and selling broiler chickens. This project is expected to replace 72,902 kilowatt hours of electricity (83 percent of the company’s energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 13 homes.
  • Resource Rentals and Sales was awarded a grant of $15,000 to purchase and install a 57.6-kilowatt ground-mount solar photovoltaic system. This project will save the equipment and rental sales business $5,796 annually and is expected to replace 67,157 kilowatt hours of electricity (100 percent of the company’s energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power six homes.
  • Highspire Hills Farm was awarded a grant of $15,000 to purchase and install a 30.35-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof of an agriculture building on the egg production farm. The funds will also be used to install a 21.4-kilowatt ground-mount solar array adjacent to the building. This project will realize an energy savings of $3,224 per year and will replace 24,680 kilowatt hours of electricity, which is 117 percent of the farm’s usage annually. This is enough electricity to offset the use of 22.5 tons of carbon dioxide, 522 trees and 47 barrels of oil.
  • Preston Country Market was awarded a grant of $7,010 to assist in making energy efficiency improvements to the walk-in freezer and cooler at its convenience store. Preston County Market is a small locally owned one-stop shop, selling gas to groceries. These upgrades are expected to save the business approximately $900 (50 percent of its current energy costs) per year.
  • Historic Ashland LLC was awarded a grant of $20,000 to purchase and install a 32-kilowatt ground mounted solar photovoltaic system. Historic Ashland LLC is in the rural community of Wrightsville, York County, Pa. This project will save an energy savings of $7,728 per year and will replace 35,671 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough electricity to power three homes annually.

To learn more about these and other resources for rural areas, contact a USDA Rural Development state office.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.