Rural Georgia to receive $3.1 million in USDA federal grants
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the department is sending $3.1 million to farms and small businesses throughout rural parts of Georgia.
The expansion will be executed from grants through the Rural Energy for America Program and the Renewable and Energy Efficiency Program, which in turn are primarily funded by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, according to a recent press release from the department.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is partnering with people in rural communities across our nation to expand access to clean energy and save rural Americans money,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in the release. “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.”
In total, 24 Georgia farms and individuals will receive grant money from the program, the majority of whom are located in the state’s 8th and 12th Congressional Districts.
The grants range from $16,068 to $385,090, and will go towards lowering energy costs and raising awareness of climate change.
“Delivering clean energy investments that will help farmers and business owners in rural Georgia lower their energy costs and save money is a win-win for our economy and our environment,” said U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in a statement to WABE. “This is exactly the kind of progress I had in mind when we worked to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, and I’m glad to see the benefits of that law continue flowing to Georgia.”
T&S Farms Banks County LLC in Homer, Georgia, will use its $158,000 grant to install a solar array. The project is expected to save T&S $22,500 per year, which is estimated to be enough energy to power 18 homes.
In Dodge County in Southeast Georgia, three crop farmers will receive grants ranging from $84,000-$95,000, with the goal of saving fuel money and replacing motor engines from diesel to electric irrigation.
In Monroe County, forest management company Millwood Brothers Inc. will use its $229,152 grant to purchase a new Bandit Model 3590XL towable whole-tree chipper. The device is projected to generate 130,000 tons per year of wood chips and produce 310,008 mWh per year, enough to power 35,278 homes.
Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2.2 billion through REAP in 7,566 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. These projects will help rural small businesses and farmers lower energy bills by an average of $25,000 a year, generate new renewable energy income and strengthen their resiliency of operations, according to a USDA press release.
“Senator Warnock and I continue to champion energy security and energy independence to lower energy costs for Georgia’s farmers and businesses,” said U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in a statement to WABE. “I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Vilsack for helping deliver this investment in Georgia’s energy future.”
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