The Agriculture Department said it will award $102 million in loan guarantees and $71 million in grants for 1,114 small rural businesses and agricultural producers to install renewable energy systems or improve energy efficiency in their operations. Nearly $6 million was earmarked for 17 anaerobic digesters in eight states. Together, the digesters would generate enough power for 84,000 homes for a year. The financing, through the Rural Energy for America Program, includes a $3.8 million loan guarantee for a 6.5 megawatt solar array in North Carolina and a photovoltaic system for a wholesale bakery Pearl City, Hawaii, near Honolulu.
The USDA announced the awards on the same day the White House honored a dozen people as “champions for change” for sustainable and climate-smart agriculture.