Beshear Announces On-Farm Energy Awards
August 6, 2010
Stimulus funds awarded to Kentucky farmers KY Post August 6, 2010 FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear Thursday announced the award of $481,690 in On-Farm Energy Efficiency and Production Incentives grants to 52 producers.
This grant program is the result of the partnership between the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP) and Kentucky’s Department for Energy Development & Independence with stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“In October 2009, I announced the availability of stimulus funds for on-farm energy efficiency improvements in Kentucky,” said Beshear. “I am pleased to announce that 52 farm families were able to take advantage of this opportunity to improve farm energy efficiency or biomass production.”
Recipients of these energy stimulus incentives may receive 25-percent reimbursement of the actual cost of a federally qualified energy saving project, up to $10,000. Permissible items include, but are not limited to, energy audits, energy efficient farm building components, on-farm energy upgrades, on-farm energy efficiency training and biomass energy production activities.
“These on-farm energy efficiency incentive grants represent only a small part of Kentucky’s State Energy Program award,” said Roger Thomas, executive director of GOAP. “But they will provide enormous benefit to Kentucky’s farm families and position Kentucky agriculture as a leader in on-farm energy efficiency.”
These awards, along with funds awarded in 2009, bring total ARRA investments in the On-farm Energy Efficiency and Production Incentives program to more than $680,000.
All applications for the incentive grants were reviewed and scored by a committee comprised of representatives from GOAP, the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, the UK College of Agriculture and a Rural Electric Cooperative. A representative from USDA Rural Development and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet each served in an ex-officio capacity.
The 2010 ARRA On-farm Energy Efficiency and Production Incentives Program is designed to help achieve the goals of Beshear’s Intelligent Energy Choices for Kentucky’s Future: Kentucky’s 7-Point Energy Strategy, and will be part of the effort to meet 18 percent of Kentucky’s energy needs from efficiency improvements by 2025.