HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-22 Correspondence - USDA - On Earth Day, USDA Invests in Critical Infrastructure to Advance Renewable Energy Across Rural MontanaFrom:USDA Rural Development MontanaTo:AgendaSubject:On Earth Day, USDA Invests in Critical Infrastructure to Advance Renewable Energy Across Rural MontanaDate:Friday, April 22, 2022 9:06:54 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize
the sender and know the content is safe.
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
USDA Rural Development - Together, America Prospers
Press Release
Rural Development
2229 Boot Hill Court
Bozeman, MT 59715
www.rd.usda.gov/mt
Contact: Sue Kerver
(406) 312-0190 (Cell)
(406) 585-2587 (Office)
Suzanne.Kerver@usda.gov
On Earth Day, USDA Invests in Critical
Infrastructure to Advance Renewable Energy
Across Rural Montana
BOZEMAN, Mont., April 22, 2022 –Today, in honor of Earth Day 2022, Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
is investing nearly $800 million in climate-smart infrastructure in 40 states, Puerto
Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, which includes funding for Montana's rural
small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make
energy efficiency improvements.
A complete list of national awards and recipients may be found here.
"Here at USDA Rural Development, every day is Earth Day. With a focus on clean
water, renewable energy, and value-added agriculture, USDA Rural Development
Montana is doing our part to invest in our state and protect our communities and
resources in the spirit of the first Earth Day, which happened 52 years ago," said
USDA Rural Development (RD) Montana State Director Kathleen Williams.
Montana's investments, funded through the Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP), will help the state's agricultural producers, rural small business owners and
residents lower energy costs and make energy-efficiency improvements.
"Through the Rural Energy for America program, we’re helping businesses,
farmers, and ranchers conserve energy and save money," Williams added. "These
investments in Montana's rural communities will make an impact for generations to
come."
Montana Awards:
In Montana, allocations through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
include:
$6,346 to Yellowstone Vacation Rentals, LLC, which will be used to purchase
and install a 8.28 two-kilowatt (kW) solar array on the Fox Den Lodge
property in West Yellowstone. This project is expected to realize $1,228 per
year in savings and should generate 11,245 kW of energy per year, which is
enough electricity to power one home.
$9,360 to Consulting Design Solutions, Inc., which will be used to develop
renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements to this
Manhattan-based company. Project funds will be used to purchase and
install a 14.4 kilowatt (kW) solar array. The project is expected to realize
$1,545 per year in savings and should generate 17,206 kW of energy
annually, which is enough electricity to power almost two homes.
$16,294 to Canebrake Vineyard, which owns the building in Helena where
the Montana Health Center in located. Project funds will be used to purchase
and install a 23.7 kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar array. This project is
expected to realize $2,280 per year in savings and should generate 32,567
kW of energy per year, which is enough electricity to power three homes.
$19,500 to Nelson Real Estate Holdings, LLC, which will be used to install a
29.52 kilowatt-hour (kWh) solar array on its business, Nelson's Ace
Hardware, in Whitefish. The hardware store has been continuously owned
and operated by the Nelson family for over 70 years and is a staple to the
Whitefish community. This project is expected to provide 33,204 kWh, or 26
percent, of the annual electrical consumption needed for their new location,
which, in 2019, doubled in size.
$20,000 to Quaggfor, LLC (doing business as Thornton Group), which owns
a building in downtown Butte that houses numerous businesses. This award
will be used to purchase and install an uninterrupted power supply for the
historic building. The project is expected to realize $7,236 per year in savings
and should save 93,005 kilowatts per year, which is enough electricity to
power almost nine homes.
REAP in Action:
Click here to read how Carol Lynn Lapotka, the owner of REcreate Designs, LLC, in
Polson, retrofitted her building with LED lighting, energy-efficient windows and
insulated front doors. The project has saved nearly $3,400 and reduced energy use
by 50 percent.
Click here to see how Sun Mountain Lumber successfully integrated Rural Energy
for America funding to improve their operations.
Click here to read how Pink Bench Distilling used their 2021 Rural Energy for
America award to fund energy efficiency improvements, which included insulation,
double pane windows, exterior doors and an air source heat pump for their new
business in Troy.
The most recent REAP award cycle closed on March 31, 2022, and those
applications are being processed. Additionally, USDA Rural Development Montana
is accepting applications for the next competition, which closes on October 31,
2022. More information, including application details, may be found here.
To learn more about REAP, and other business investment resources for Montana's
rural areas, contact Montana's Business and Cooperative Programs Director, Lad
Barney, at (406) 309-3350 or lad.barney@usda.gov.
Rural Infrastructure Tour
Today's announcement is part of the Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure
Tour, which is a multi-faceted outreach effort involving cabinet and sub-cabinet
officials across federal agencies as they travel to and learn from rural communities
across the country. These visits will highlight new federal funding and investments
already underway through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a once-in-a-generation
investment that will support rural communities and their infrastructure needs for
years to come.
This announcement also furthers the Justice40 Initiative, which commits to
delivering at least 40 percent of the benefits from federal climate and clean energy
investments to disadvantaged communities.
USDA 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/mt.. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA
Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
###
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Follow Montana Rural Development on Twitter!
Questions?
Contact Us
2229 Boot Hill Court
Bozeman, MT 59715
Phone: (406) 585-2580
STAY CONNECTED:
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Preferences | Delete Profile | Help
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized
interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the
violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and
delete the email immediately.
This email was sent to agenda@bozeman.net by USDA Rural Development · 1400 Independence Ave SW · WashingtonDC 20250 · 800-670-6553