Tell the USDA: Don't Put Clean Energy Out of Farmers' Reach

Trump's Department of Agriculture is making it harder for farmers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy. 

The administration is changing the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides farmers and rural small businesses with grants for solar and wind projects. Over the last 18 years, REAP has helped cut electricity costs and in some cases brought in revenue by allowing grantees to sell excess clean energy to the electric grid. 

Now, the USDA will require most farmers to pay for their renewable energy projects upfront, finish the work, and show a full year of energy results before they can even apply for a grant.

That means a farmer could spend thousands of dollars on a solar project without knowing whether the USDA will help cover the cost. The changes also make certain solar projects on farmland ineligible for funding. Altogether, these changes could cause many farmers to give up entirely on an opportunity to become energy independent and cut climate emissions.

With so many farmers already struggling to make ends meet and the climate crisis accelerating, the last thing we need is for the USDA to rollback support for rural clean energy.

Tell the USDA to put our farmers first and keep rural clean energy accessible.  

Congress established REAP in 2008 to help farmers and rural small businesses afford renewable energy and energy-saving upgrades, but experts warn that the new requirements would leave many unable to afford the projects at all.

Right now, farmers are navigating rising costs and extreme weather. Affordable clean energy can help rural communities become more resilient while fighting climate change at the same time.

The USDA is accepting public comments on these changes until November 2.

Sign the petition today and tell the USDA to protect access to renewable energy grants for small farms and rural businesses.

The petition to the USDA reads: "Reconsider the new Rural Energy for America Program rules that make it harder for farmers and rural small businesses to access renewable energy grants. Remove unnecessary barriers that require applicants to pay for and complete projects before seeking funding, and reconsider restrictions on solar projects. Keep REAP accessible to small farmers and rural businesses that need help lowering their energy costs."