8 Maine energy projects to get $7.5M in USDA rural development funding
Courtesy / Morning Dew Farm
Morning Dew Farm in Damariscotta as one of eight Maine recipients in the latest round of USDA renewable energy infrastructure funds.
Eight rural Maine communities will be able to advance projects to build or improve their renewable energy infrastructure, thanks to a $7,464,060 investment by the federal government.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program, and is part of a total $464 million awarded to projects nationwide. The money is going to rural communities, agricultural producers and businesses to lower energy costs, according to a news release.
This new financial boost arrives in the midst of Maine’s widespread push toward renewable energy. That includes the passage last year of Maine's revised Renewable Portfolio Standard of 80% of clean energy by 2030 and 100% by 2040, follow by the Public Utilities Commission’s approval of a record 17 renewable energy projects.
Earlier this year, the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program awarded $17.6 million in loan guarantees to three solar energy projects in rural Maine. And community solar projects have gone live in Belfast, Gardiner and Baldwin in recent months.
The projects funded by Thursday’s awards are expected to lower energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers and help expand economic development and employment opportunities.
“Investing through the Rural Energy for America Program helps the Maine economy and contributes to a cleaner and more sustainable future for Maine communities,” USDA Rural Development Acting Maine State Director Tommy Higgins said in the release.
The program provides a mix of loans and grants.
Grant recipients in Maine
• Wohelo Inc. received $9,967 to install a solar photovoltaic system. The project will save $2,467 per year and will generate 16,790 kilowatt-hours annually, which is enough to power one home. Wohelo Inc., which does business as Wohelo Camps, is a group of girls' residential camps in Raymond.
• Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections received $20,000 to install a new solar photovoltaic system. This project is expected to save $4,551 per year. It will generate 37,050 kWh per year, which is enough to power three homes. Wilbur’s of Maine is a chocolate and candy store in Freeport.
• Dooryard Farm LLC received $14,400 to install a new solar photovoltaic system. The project is expected to save $1,603 per year. It will generate 28,718 kWh per year, which is enough to power two homes. Dooryard Farm is a certified organic farm that grows vegetables and pasture-raised animals in and around Camden.
• Littlefield Retreat LLC received $13,000 to help install a solar photovoltaic system. The project is expected to save $1,284 per year and will generate 89,370 kWh per year, which is enough to power eight homes. The company owns and operates Purposely Lost, Maine's first eco-friendly, carbon neutral, luxury-meets-camp retreat in Springvale.
• Poor Richard's Inc. received $3,197 to help install a solar photovoltaic system in Springvale. The project is expected to save $1,018 per year. It will generate 7,100 kWh per year. Poor Richard's, which does business as Ferment Farm, specializes in heritage produce used to produce premium micro-batch foods including ice cream, fermented foods and cider.
• Sheepscot Valley Brewing Co. LLC received $6,231 to install a new solar photovoltaic system that is expected to save $2,200 per year and replace 16,542 kWh annually, or all of the company's energy use. This is also enough energy to power one home. Sheepscot Valley Brewing, in Whitefield, is a micro-brewery and tasting room.
• Morning Dew Farm LLC received $12,265 to install a new solar photovoltaic system. The project is expected to save $3,100 per year and will generate 28,626 kWh per year, which is enough energy to power two homes. Morning Dew Farm is a grower of organic vegetables and seedlings in Damariscotta.
Loan recipient
• Augusta Road Bowdoin Solar LLC, in Bowdoin, received a loan of $7.39 million in partnership with lender Crestmark, a division of MetaBank. The investment will be used to provide permanent financing to build a 5.42-megawatt direct-current, ground-mounted solar project located in Bowdoin. The project has interconnection and net energy billing agreements in place with Central Maine Power Co. and is expected to produce 6.79 million kWh of electricity in the first full year of operation.
USDA is financing $129 million of the investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. The program provides funding to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. The investments are expected to conserve and generate more than 379 million kWh in rural America, which equates to enough electricity to power 35,677 homes per year.
USDA is financing $335 million of these investments through its Electric Loan Program. The loans will help build or improve 1,432 miles of line to strengthen reliability in rural areas. The loans include $102 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital communications to detect and react to local changes in electricity usage.
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