Energy Grant Program

Applications for the USDA Rural Development 9006 Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency Loan Guarantee and Grant Program must be received in the Rural Development Office no later than May 18, 2008.

• Energy Grant (small PDF File)

APPLY NOW FOR USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ENERGY FUNDING!

USDA Rural Development invites grant, guaranteed loan, and combined guaranteed loan and grant applications for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption. All projects must be for a pre-commercial or commercially available technology. Grant requests up to 25% of total eligible project costs are encouraged, not to exceed $500,000 for renewable energy and $250,000 for energy efficiency projects. Minimum total eligible project costs to qualify for grants are $10,000 for renewable energy and $6,000 for energy efficiency projects. Loan Guarantees can be issued for up to 50% of total eligible project costs, not to exceed $10 million. Minimum total eligible project costs to qualify for a guaranteed loan is $10,000 for both renewable and efficiency projects. A combination grant and guaranteed loan option is also available for up to 50% of total eligible project costs, with the grant portion not to exceed 25% of total eligible project costs. Costs incurred before determining eligibility of the application for both grants and loan guarantees are not eligible. In addition, funds are not available for residential use.

Grant applications must be submitted to the appropriate USDA Rural Development State Office no later than May 18, 2008. Applications for guaranteed loans and combined guaranteed loan and grant packages must be submitted to the appropriate USDA Rural Development State Office no later than July 2, 2008. Combination packages will compete and be awarded on a bi-weekly basis until funds are exhausted. Guaranteed loan applications will be accepted and processed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. The amount of grant funds available in FY2008 is $11.385 million, of which 50% will be reserved for the grant portion of the combination grant and guaranteed loan packages. Funding will also be available for loan guarantees up to $176.5 million. Any unused guaranteed loan funding as of August 1, 2008 may be pooled and revert to grant funding.

For more information, please refer to the Federal Register Announcement dated March 22, 2008 at the following link:

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo .gov/2008/E7-5198.htm

You may also visit the main webpage for the program at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html.

Applicants may submit grant-only applications to the Agency in either electronic or paper format as indicated in the Federal Register Announcement. All projects to be located in VT should call 802-828-6031, and all projects to be located in NH should call 603-223-6042 for assistance with your application.