11.02.23

Washington Farmers & Small Businesses Awarded Over $3M for Solar Panels & Green Energy Infrastructure

Rural businesses in Adams, Clark, Franklin, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanagan, Pacific, San Juan, Snohomish, & Whatcom counties receive federal funds; USDA’s REAP program funded by Cantwell-supported Inflation Reduction Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that 18 rural small businesses across Washington state were awarded a total of $3,006,303 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which helps farmers and rural small businesses transition to renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements.

Sixteen of the small businesses announced today will use the funds to pay or help pay for the purchase and installation of a new solar array; one will purchase an energy-efficient HVAC system, and another will purchase a generator for an anaerobic digester. Altogether, the projects are estimated to generate 10.07 million kilowatt hours per year, or enough energy to power around 933 homes.

REAP was originally authorized in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, called the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements programs. The 2008 Farm Bill expanded the authority of the program and renamed it to REAP. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act supported by Sen. Cantwell increased resources for the program by more than $2 billion over 10 years.

REAP seeks to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy development for agricultural producers and rural small businesses by providing grants and guaranteed loans for eight different categories of renewable energy production, including wind, solar, anaerobic digestion, hydro, and geothermal power, as well as for energy efficiency improvements. Eligible applicants are agricultural producers and rural small businesses.

The following small rural businesses in Washington state were awarded REAP funding:

  • $14,400 for Basin Farmworks in Adams County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 16.2 kilowatt (kW) solar array. The project will save Basin Farmworks $2,018 per year in savings and replace 21,034 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year.
  • $1 million for Weyns Farm in Adams County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 1080 kW solar array. This project will save Weyns Farm $152,384 per year and replace 1,497,736 kWh per year.
  • $99,930 for Legacy Farms WA in Clark County. This investment will be used to assist the purchase and installation of a 47 kW solar array. This project will generate $2,559 in energy sales per year and will generate 55,096 kWh per year.
  • $51,447 for R.P. Kuiper in Clark County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 36.48 kWh solar array. This project will save R.P. Kuiper $2,900 per year and will replace 35,600 kWh per year.
  • $11,847 for Sage Hill Electric in Franklin County. This investment will be used to help purchase and install a 16.2 kW solar array. This project will save Sage Hill Electric $1,485 per year and will replace 30,819 kWh per year.
  • $7,484 for Silva Family Farm in Island County. This investment will be used to assist in purchasing and installing a 9.6 kW solar array. This project will save Silva Family Farm $1,177 per year in energy generation and will generate 9,500 kWh per year.
  • $18,926 for Dog Townsend in Jefferson County. This investment will be used to assist the purchase and installation of a 12.75 kW solar array. This project will save Dog Townsend Inc. $1,259 per year and replace 26,882 kWh per year.
  • $12,132 for Plum Forest Farm in King County. This investment will be used to assist Plum Forest Farm with the purchase and installation of a 9.62 kW solar array. This project will save Plum Forest Farm $4,232 per year and replace 9,405 kWh per year.
  • $19,492 for Lazy T Farm in Kittitas County. This investment will be used to help Lazy T Farm purchase and install a 20.4 kW solar array. This project will save Lazy T Farm $2,800 per year and replace 17,374 kWh per year.
  • $522,150 for Underwood Fruit & Warehouse in Klickitat County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 448.8 kW solar array. This project will save Underwood Fruit & Warehouse $44,877 per year and will replace or generate 612,240 kWh per year.
  • $161,250 for Maryhill Winery in Klickitat County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 129 kW solar array. This project will save Maryhill Winery $13,868 per year and replace 182 kWh per year.
  • $18,120 for Big Bird Farms in Lincoln County. This investment will be used to help Big Bird Farms Inc. purchase and install a 14.6 kW solar array. This project will save Big Bird Farms Inc. $1,912 per year and generate 17,943 kWh per year.
  • $14,840 for Walking Rose in Okanogan County. This investment will be used to help Walking Rose LLC purchase and install a 16kW solar array. This project will save $1,579 per year and will replace 22,400 kWh per year.
  • $15,899 for Omak Mirage in Pacific County. This investment will be used to help Omak Mirage LLC purchase and install an energy-efficient HVAC system. This project will save $1,024 per year and replace 26,000 kWh per year.
  • $5,999 for Midnight’s Farm in San Juan County. This investment will be used to help Midnight’s Farm LLC purchase and install an 8kW solar array. This project will realize $417 per year in savings and will replace 4,721 kWh per year.
  • $20,000 for Hogstead in Snohomish County. This investment will be used to help Hogstead LLC purchase and install a 27.65 kWh solar array. This project will realize $2,318 per year in savings and will replace 24,024 kWh per year.
  • $1 million for FPE Renewables in Whatcom County. This investment will be used to purchase and install a 920 kW generator for an existing anaerobic digester. This project will generate 7,647,480 kWh per year.
  • $12,787 for Free Range in Whatcom County. This investment will be used to help Free Range LLC, purchase and install a 15.20 Kw solar array. This project will save $1,577 per year and replace 14,162 kWh per year.

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