U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development South Dakota State Director Nikki Gronli announced (Jan. 22, 2024) ten grants totaling $3.2 million to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for South Dakota farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
“Farmers and small businesses are benefiting from the real cost savings of the Rural Energy for America Program,” said Gronli. “We’re seeing new sustainable energy projects like geothermal and solar, and we’re also seeing a large number of equipment upgrades from across rural South Dakota.”
The ten REAP investments in South Dakota, totaling more than $3.2 million include:
- Golden Dakota Farms, LLC, will receive $1 million to install an anaerobic digester at a dairy farm near Elkton. The project expects to save more than $1.6 million in energy costs annually.
- Coteau Tiling, Inc. will receive $22,480 to install a 52.5 kilowatt solar array at their tiling business in Revillo, replacing nearly $5,000 in energy costs per year.
- Sturgis Meats in Meade, South Dakota will install a refrigeration system that will save $32,000 in energy costs per year. It will also save the company 255,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough energy to power 23 homes.
A full list of investments in South Dakota can be found in the image above or at https://www.rd.usda.gov/
USDA continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information on application deadlines and submission details, see page 19239 of the March 31 Federal Register, visit Rural Development’s REAP page for South Dakota, or contact the Rural Development Business and Cooperatives team at (605) 352-1100 or email at RD.SD.RBCS@USDA.Gov.
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