DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 22, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Monday) announced that USDA is investing $18,211,903 in 183 projects across the state to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for Iowa agricultural producers and rural small business owners with funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

“Producers and small businesses across the state are saving money, growing their businesses, and addressing climate change by investing in solar projects and making energy efficiency improvements through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program,” said Director Greenfield. “The Biden-Harris Administration is hard at work making sure as many Iowans as possible can access the historic Inflation Reduction Act funding to make clean energy improvements at their farms and businesses.”

Today’s projects are part of a larger nation-wide announcement for the REAP program. A list of the nationwide investments may be found online here.

On Nov. 9, 2021, Xochitl Torres Small, USDA Rural Development Under Secretary, visited a farm in Audubon County, Iowa. She met a farmer who received a USDA Rural Energy for America (REAP) program grant and looked at the grain drying system the grant helped provide for the farm business there. USDA photo by Cecilia Lynch

Latest REAP grants in Iowa

A full list of today’s awards in Iowa is available online here and includes these five examples:

-CS Solar LLC received a $206,792 grant to help install a 29 kilowatt rooftop solar system and a 164 kW ground solar system on city property in Decorah. This project in Winneshiek County is expected to generate $40,987 per year in energy sales, which is enough electricity to power 23 homes.

–Red Lion Creston Schools Solar LLC, an electric generation company, received a $1,000,000 grant to help install solar arrays totaling 1,771 kilowatts in Creston. This project in Union County will generate 2,346,020 kilowatt hours per year, amounting to $151,822 per year. This is enough electricity to power 216 homes.

–Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC received a $1,000,000 grant to install a slurry heating and reduced backset system at its dry-mill ethanol production facility in rural Pottawattamie County. This project is expected to realize $3,181,600 per year in savings and to replace 36,688,453 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough electricity to power 3,385 homes.

-Red Lion Knoxville Waterworks Solar LLC, an electric generation company, received a $800,000 grant to help install solar arrays totaling 1,056 kilowatts at six locations in Knoxville, in Marion County. This project is expected to generate 1,340,560 kilowatt hours per year, amounting to $81,499 per year. This is enough electricity to power 123 homes.

-Mara Transport Inc., a family-owned and operated over-the-road trucking business located in Marshall County, received a $21,949 grant to help install a 34.6 kilowatt solar array for business needs. This project is expected to save $5,584.67 per year and to replace 33,968 kilowatt hours—100 percent of the business energy usage—per year, which is enough energy to power three homes.