$4.3M will help Maine farms, rural businesses cut energy costs

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the Brunswick Farmers' Market

Photo / Courtesy, USDA Rural Development U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, center, visits a stand at the Brunswick Farmers Market last week. He was joined by USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson.

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By Renee Cordes

Dozens of Maine farms and small rural businesses are in line to receive $4.3 million in federal funding to invest in solar power and other projects designed to lower energy costs.

The funding consists of 41 Rural Energy for America Program grants and one guaranteed loan, funded via the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

REAP provides grants and loans to agriculture producers and rural small businesses to help them make energy efficiency improvements, such as installing renewable systems.

The awards to Maine farms and businesses are part of a national $163 million investment, announced last week by the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the Brunswick Farmers Market. The funds will be used to support 338 clean energy projects in 39 states as well as Guam.

“We are hard at work, continuing what we’ve always done, supporting rural small businesses and farmers as they create jobs for their communities and drive economic prosperity,” Vilsack said in Thursday’s announcement.

In Maine, recipients include Copper Tail Farm, a Waldoboro goat dairy operation that will receive $16,707 to install a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system that is expected to save close to $3,.800 a year. Another recipient is West Gardiner SPV LLC, which will get more than $1.8 million to build a ground-mounted solar project.

Calling the investment a win-win, Gov. Janet Mills said it will be both good for the environment and help Maine farms and small businesses save money.

“In turn, our farms and small businesses can take their savings and invest them back into their operations and employees so they can grow and thrive,” she said.