Brian Murray, the New York State Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, today unveiled a $7.7 million package for 27 rural New York projects focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.
The announcement is part of a broader USDA initiative, where Secretary Tom Vilsack disclosed a national funding of $266 million aimed at bolstering the energy resilience of agriculture producers and rural businesses.
This ambitious program, backed by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, emphasizes combatting the climate crisis and is seen as the country’s most significant investment in this arena to date.
Highlighting the national vision, the USDA’s $266 million will support 1,334 projects across 47 states, including Guam and Puerto Rico, through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
Locally, among the beneficiaries is Humbert Farms, LLC, a family-run crop farm in Rose, New York.
The farm will receive a $500,000 grant to introduce an energy-efficient grain dryer for their corn harvest, projecting annual savings of $71,144 and a reduction of over 956,000 kilowatt hours. The overarching goal of these investments, as per President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, is to foster a robust clean-energy economy, combat climate change, and enhance community resilience.
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