By Amy Mund
Special to The SUN
USDA is encouraging interested entities that will assist agriculture producers and small rural businesses by conducting energy audits and providing information on renewable energy development assistance to begin a grant application process.
Eligible entities for these grants include state, tribal, local government or their instrumentalities, land grant colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning, rural electric cooperatives and public power.
“While deadlines for Fiscal Year 2013 grant funding have not been announced, I encourage all potential applicants to begin the process now. Once the application window is announced, there may be a short turnaround time and we want to ensure all applicants have time to submit their project requests,” said April Dahlager, Colorado Business and Cooperative Programs Director, USDA Rural Development.
Funding for this and all Rural Energy for America Programs (REAP) will be announced through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), however, interested applicants should visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Reap.html for eligibility and technology requirements.
USDA, through its Rural Development’s programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.
For further information on REAP programs in Colorado contact Janice Pond, energy coordinator, (720) 544-2907, janice.pond@co.usda.gov or visit the website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/co.
