The USDA is soliciting applications for fiscal year 2018 Rural Energy for America Program funding. The program helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.  

REAP offers two types of funding assistance. Under the first, Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance, the USDA provides grants and guaranteed loans to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. Eligible renewable energy systems are biomass, including anaerobic digesters, wind, solar, small-hydo-electric, ocean, geothermal or hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

The second is the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant, which is available to state, Tribal or local governments; institutions of higher education; rural electric cooperatives; public power entities; and councils. Recipients of the grants establish programs to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating the energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations.

The deadline to apply for grants April 30. Applications for loan guarantees are accepted year-round.

Additional information is available in a Federal Register notice posted by the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.