Pondering a REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) grant? The time to apply is yesterday. Or at least right now.

Deadlines have been announced and, because of carryover funds from previous years, there are two of them—April 30 and June 30. But don’t take that as a sign to dillydally; funds are awarded until they’re gone, and the bigger-than-usual $100 million dollar pot is going to add up to a lot more interest.

Sarah Aubrey, owner of Prosperity Consulting—our partner in assisting members with grant applications—calls this great news but stresses that members “don’t delay, start today” on submitting their applications.

The usual parameters for REAP grants are still in place: eligible candidates are agricultural producers and rural small business owners who live in an area with a population of 50,000 or less and make energy-efficient improvements to their operations. (That means you, co-ops. You’re eligible to apply—just like your members.)

“To get funding,” Aubrey said, “you need a project that has measurable outcomes, and you need to have a firm idea of the cost of your project and a timeline for completing it.”

REAP grants can cover as much as 25% of your project costs. Funds are available for a wide range of projects that includes (but isn’t limited to) the following:

• Solar or wind energy
• Methane digesters
• Grain dryers
• Lighting
• Greenhouses
• Refrigeration
• Geothermal
• Flex fuel pumps
• Biomass and bio-energy
• Hydro-energy

Talk to your Energy Advisor if you’d like to attend our January 27 webinar, which will review qualification and application details—and suggest ways to take advantage of POWER MOVES rebates alongside your qualifying REAP grant projects.

We’ve created a REAP grant eligibility assessment that can help you determine whether your project is a good fit. Your local Energy Advisor can also help answer questions. Don’t wait!