ELPC Press Release
Sheep graze on a local solar farm at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia
February 22, 2023
Solar installation at Wildtype Native Plant Nursery, Michigan
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) brings energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities to farms, ranches, and rural small businesses across the country. The program has been around for 20 years as part of the Farm Bill’s Energy Title. In that time, it has sparked investment in over 22,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and it is ready to do more.
Over the past year, ELPC talked to people around the country who are using REAP and how. The farms, ranches, and rural small businesses included in the report are:
Because of its well-recognized successes, REAP was included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with nearly $2 billion over the next 10 years. ELPC has been a champion of REAP since its inception, and we’re excited to see new federal funding to support this bipartisan program moving forward, but we have also provided a series of recommendations for improving REAP in the next Farm Bill. The whole United States benefits from reduced pollution, stronger rural economies, and increased farm incomes. REAP has a bright future, and we look forward to helping it get even stronger in the years ahead.