Ranking Member Craig, SEEC Climate and Agriculture Task Force Urge USDA To Keep Affordable Energy Options Open to Farmers
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Climate and Agriculture Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Kim Schrier (WA-08), alongside House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02), led a total of 45 House Democrats urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to revise the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) rule implemented on October 16 that requires REAP applicants to have projects fully installed and operational for at least 12 months prior to application.
“We write to you in response to proposed changes to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Over the last year, energy costs have risen by more than four times the rate of inflation. This has acutely hit America’s farmers and rural small businesses, whose bottom lines have been impacted by a trifecta of rising energy bills, skyrocketing input costs, and erratic trade policy. The new REAP rule that bars eligibility for farmers looking for much-needed financial relief through this cost-saving program is irresponsible and the exact opposite of what USDA should be doing to help our rural communities address record-breaking diesel and energy prices,” wrote the Members.
“We request that USDA revise this rule to remove the burdensome requirement that applicants must have fully installed projects for one year before receiving funding commitments from the agency. Farmers cannot afford to invest in these cost- and energy-saving measures without upfront government assistance. This is a time when we should be doubling down on affordable forms of energy — not closing off energy options — to safeguard our farmers, businesses, and food supply chain from external price shocks. We must maintain access to critical USDA rural programs that lower energy and input costs for America’s farms and small businesses.”
Read the full letter here.