USDA awards 20 renewable energy grants in rural Oregon, including solar array for Madras agriculture cooperative

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture is sending a total of $4,46 million in Rural Energy for America Program grants to support 20 renewable energy projects in rural communities across the state, including a Madras agriculture co-op.

The investments will be used to help farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses adopt renewable energy technologies, conduct critical energy audits, and cut costs and carbon pollution with energy efficiency improvements. These projects will strengthen the resiliency of their operations, generate new income, and help create jobs in rural Oregon.

“Oregon’s small farms, ranches, and businesses know that leaning into renewable energy sources can help them significantly lower their energy costs, increase profits, and make them more sustainable over the long run,” said Merkley, who prioritized REAP funding when he previously served as the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that writes the agriculture funding bill. 

“Unfortunately, the upfront costs of making that switch often leave rural businesses stuck with outdated energy infrastructure and higher monthly bills. This federal funding from REAP is critical to help rural Oregon businesses overcome financial hurdles and realize energy-efficient projects that are good for both their pocketbook and the planet.” 

“Rural communities in Oregon are often the first to feel the effects of our current climate crisis whether that be severe drought or wildfires,” Wyden said. “This federal REAP grant is critical to making a transition to clean energy accessible to communities that need affordable and sustainable utility options the most.”

Since launching in 2008, the REAP program has proved essential to rural America by providing grants and loans to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar and other forms of clean energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, address climate chaos, and lower energy costs.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has been working hard to cut costs for our farms and small businesses, which are so critical to supporting a thriving rural Oregon. Many of our REAP recipients will replace 100 percent of their energy and cut their utility bills by thousands,” said Margi Hoffmann, USDA Rural Development State Director for Oregon. "With these grants, farms can cut emissions and grow resiliency while continuing to invest in innovative new products and attracting the best people."

The REAP grants coming to Oregon are as follows:

• $1 million for Spitfire LLC dba Burns Solar to help the business in Burns purchase and install a 100-megawatt ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which will be completed in 10-megawatt increments. The solar array will generate $1,212,640 in income for the business by selling renewable electricity to Oregonians through the Oregon Community Solar Program.
• $1 million for Fort George Brewery Public House in Astoria to help the business purchase and install a 560-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV system on top of their brewery. The solar array will replace 81 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $60,907 per year. 
• $561,165 for Bauman's Farm and Garden LLC to help the Gervais business purchase and install a 590.7-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV system on top of their buildings. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $73,186 per year. 
• $449,250 for Bountiful Farms Nursery Inc. in Woodburn to help the business purchase and install a 462-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of two buildings on their property. 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.
• $351,132 for Pratum Co-Op in Madras to help the business purchase and install a 302.64-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV system on top of their buildings. The solar array will replace 95 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $59,234 per year. 
• $316,994 for Brooks Tree Farm Inc., a small farm in Salem, to help the business purchase and install a 297-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of an existing building. 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.
• $99,496 for WHCC2A, LLC in Newberg to help the business purchase and install a 134.8-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their newly built production facility. 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.
• $93,311 for Vintage 98 LLC dba Sidereus Winery in Cornelius to help the business purchase and install a 66-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their buildings. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $8,494 per year.
• $86,219 for Fayworks LLC in Klamath Falls to help the business purchase and install a 52-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their building. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $8,914 per year.
• $77,541 for Quandary Vineyards LLC in Yamhill to help the business purchase and install a 38.4-kilowatt ground-mounted solar PV on unusable farmland on their property next to the freeway. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $8,494 per year.
• $61,373 for Dorian Business LLC dba Dorian Place to help the small business in Ontario purchase and install a 57.2-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their building. The solar array will replace 34 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $7,324 per year. 
• $54,280 for Twin Springs Farm & Garden LLC to help the small farm in Sandy purchase and install a 44.62-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their existing farm buildings. This solar array will replace 87 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $6,121 per year. 
• $52,643 for Dahle Orchards, LLC to help the small farm in The Dalles purchase and install a 39.84-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their barn. The solar array will replace 42 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $2,484 per year. 
• $50,672 for Standing Tree Properties LLC to help the small business in Williams purchase and install a 19.44-kilowatt ground-mounted solar PV on their unused plot of land. The solar array will replace 72 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $2,740 per year.
• $47,097 for Wellsprings Business LLC to help the small business in Ontario purchase and install a 46.2-kilowatt roof-mounted solar array on top of their building. The solar array will replace 25 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $6,032 per year. 
• $44,954 for Skyline Construction Services, LLC in Silverton to help the business purchase and install a 42.7-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their building. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $5,859 per year. 
• $36,541 for Timothy J. Moore DDS PC to help the dental office in Klamath Falls purchase and install a 21.3-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their office building. The solar array will replace 100 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $3,592 per year. 
• $34,500 for T&P Farms to help the small farm in Salem purchase and install a 24-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of an existing shed on their property. 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. 
• $30,129 for A.M. Farm, LLC, to help the small farm in Salem purchase and install a 24.9-kilowatt roof-mounted solar PV on top of their future shed. The solar array will replace 92 percent of the business's energy use with renewable electricity, reducing its utility bill by $4,652 per year. 
• $12,000 for The Dirty Cowgirl Saloon in Wasco to help the business purchase and install an energy-efficient heat pump to replace their diesel furnace, which will save 80,225,869 British thermal units of electricity per year. The heat pump will lower the business's energy use by 25 percent, reducing its utility bill by $2,581 per year.