HURON - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced funding for 821 projects across the nation that will help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy usage and costs in their operations.
The funding is available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and will be used to make energy efficiency improvements and install renewable energy systems.
Geddes Grocery Center, of Geddes, has been selected to receive a $19,763 grant to make energy efficiency improvements to the lighting system.
Fifteen South Dakota-based businesses received a total of $156,999 as part of the announcement.
Congress created the REAP program in the 2002 Farm Bill. Because of the program's success, Congress reauthorized it in the 2014 Farm Bill with guaranteed funding of at least $50 million annually for the duration of the five-year Farm Bill.
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"Since 2009, the Rural Energy for America Program has helped roughly 15,000 small businesses and agricultural producers save enough energy to power about 730,000 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than five million metric tons annually," Vilsack said. "These investments in clean energy are good for the environment, are good for each business's bottom line and they support the broader rural economy by encouraging the production of renewable energy sources."
