March 23, 2012
On Thursday, Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced Senate Bill 2225 that reauthorizes and amends the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP provides agricultural producers and rural businesses with grants and loans for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The Program also provides grant funding for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance.
The Franken-Harkin bill has new provisions for REAP that are supported by NSAC including:
The new bill also proposes to increase the authorization for appropriation for REAP from $25 million to $100 million, and set the farm bill mandatory funding level for REAP at $70 million a year. In recent years, demand for REAP dollars has outstripped supply by a 3:1 margin. USDA recently issued a progress report on REAP accomplishments.
Categories: Conservation, Energy & Environment, Farm Bill