Representative Salinas, USDA Administrator Announce New Clean Energy Grants for Rural Communities in Oregon’s Sixth District
Funding will help producers and small business owners make energy-efficient improvements
Salem, OR – On Friday, April 5, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Mr. Andrew Berke, Rural Utilities Service Administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced that five small businesses in Oregon’s Sixth District will receive federal funding to make energy-efficient upgrades through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Rep. Salinas and Mr. Berke made the announcement during a roundtable in Aurora with local elected officials, small business owners, and other stakeholders on ways to mitigate climate change's impact on rural communities.
“I am so proud that Administrator Berke was able to join me in Oregon’s Sixth District for this important announcement,” said Rep. Salinas. “As we transition to clean and renewable energy, we must also ensure that our rural communities do not get left behind. This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will help rural small business owners in my district make the switch to renewable solar electricity, saving them a combined $1 million in utility bills over the next decade. That’s a win for our planet and our local economy.”
REAP helps farmers, ranchers and rural small business owners invest in renewable energy through renewable energy and energy efficiency loans and grants, energy audits and renewable energy development grants. All five recipients in Oregon’s Sixth District will use the funding to replace 100% of their energy use with renewable solar electricity, saving them over $1 million in utility bills over the next decade while generating enough power for 62 typical U.S. homes. The solar projects will be roof-mounted or installed on unusable land so that no arable farmland will be lost.
The following small businesses in Oregon’s Sixth District will receive REAP funding:
- $449,250 for Bountiful Farms Nursery
Bountiful Farms Nursery Inc. will purchase and install a 462 kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) on top of two buildings on their property. The system will generate 531,722 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power 29 typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $51,956 per year.
- $99,496 for WHCCA2A LLC (Winery)
WHCC2A LLC will use the funding to purchase and install a 134.8 kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic on top of their newly built production facility. The system will generate 162,800 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power nine typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $15,627 per year.
- $34,500 for T&P Farms LLC
T&P Farms will use this USDA grant to purchase and install a 24-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of an existing shed on their property. The system will generate 29,150 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power two typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $4,694 per year.
- $77,541 for Quandary Vineyards LLC
Quandary Vineyards LLC will use this USDA grant to purchase and install a 38.4-kilowatt ground-mounted solar PV on unusable farmland on their property next to the freeway. The system will generate 51,216 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power three typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $5,606 per year.
- $316,994 for Brooks Tree Farm Inc
Brooks Tree Farm, Inc. will use this USDA grant to purchase and install a 297-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of an existing building. The system will generate 355,200 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity per year, which is enough to power 19 typical U.S. homes. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $31,724 per year.
Following the roundtable and funding announcement, Rep. Salinas and Mr. Berke visited a water treatment project in Amity to highlight the importance of delivering clean drinking water, especially for those living in rural areas. The City of Amity is receiving a $4,838,000 loan and a $1,500,000 grant through the USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program, funding that will be used to upgrade the City’s aging water infrastructure and ensure safe, clean drinking water for decades to come.
Rep. Salinas continued: “During our visit to Amity’s water treatment project, Administrator Berke and I saw firsthand how federal dollars are being put to good use to improve our water infrastructure in rural Oregon. These investments are critical to protecting the health and safety of our communities, and I will continue working together with federal, state, and local officials to ensure every Oregonian has access to safe, clean drinking water.”
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