Rural Energy for America Program – Driving Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency Investments

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) was created in the 2002 Farm Bill. Since its inception, this program has helped 15,000 farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses produce clean energy, cut energy costs, and boost rural economic development. REAP has continually enjoyed bipartisan support.

Importantly, REAP investments – including both grants and loan guarantees - leverage far more private investment in rural communities. REAP plays a critical role in increasing investment in rural economic development and growing new opportunities for rural small businesses and agricultural producers. Since the 2014 Farm Bill, REAP has leveraged more than $4 billion in private investment in rural economies.

REAP opens new opportunities to save and make money for farmers and rural small businesses in every state and across agricultural sectors. REAP supports a wide range of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology choices; including wind and solar power, advanced biofuels, farm digesters, and energy efficiency technologies that cut farm input costs. REAP also creates new revenue streams, increasing farm income at a time when rural communities are struggling with a multiyear slump in the farm economy.

REAP is popular and widely supported, with requests for project funding exceeding available funds each year. This is not surprising, given that profit margins for rural small businesses and farmers improve as they cut energy costs with modern energy efficiency and generate their own energy through renewable energy technologies. Further, growing new opportunities with modern technologies helps to keep younger generations in rural areas and in farming.

If your organization is interested in expressing your support to this important program, consider signing this letter to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to urge them to support REAP in the upcoming farm bill.  EESI is a signatory and has been involved with REAP since its inception. The deadline is March 23.