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May 15, 2018LYONS, Neb. |  By: Cooper

Funding for Rural Energy Assistance Program eliminated in current US House budget draft

Farmers and small businesses who want to embrace renewable energy will not get any help from the federal government under the proposed farm bill headed to the US House of Representatives this week. Funding for the Rural Energy Assistance Program has been eliminated in the current draft.

The program has provided guaranteed grants or loans to purchase, install and construct renewable energy systems to make energy efficient improvements to non-residential buildings and facilities. Katie Rock with the Center for Rural Affairs says it also has funded renewable technologies that reduce energy consumption.

Rock notes that many farmers want to be less energy dependent, but with farm income at its lowest point in 12 years, they cannot tackle such projects without the loans or grants offered through REAP.

The current draft of the farm bill calls for possibly appropriateing money for REAP on an annual basis, meaning at best the funds for next year would be cut from $50 million to $20 million, and at worst the program would be eliminated.