May

Show You The Money? Funding Ops For Rurual Renewable Energy

By Ralph

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What are the questions you ask yourself when you start thinking about making your farm or ranch more energy efficient or installing clean renewable energy resources? First: “How am I going to pay for it?” And second, “Where do I look for funding?”

To help make your search a bit easier, we’ve been scouring the internet and talking to local, state, and federal agencies and private companies to learn what funding opportunities they offer:Washington

The American Recovery and Reinvestmant act: What it means for Washington

The State of Washington’s official recovery website, including information on how to receive ARRA funds, can be found at this web address: http://www.recovery.wa.gov/

See also:

Washington Department of Transportation ARRA site, available at this web address: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Funding/stimulus/

Department to Transportation ARRA project list, available at this web address: http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/Budget/Detail/2009/ht2009leapdoc_0224.pdf

Washington Department of Ecology recovery site, available at this web address: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/recovery/

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Oregon

The American Recovery and Reinvestment act: What it means for Oregon – a report showing all of the areas for funding including (click here):

Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Environment and Natural Resources

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Idaho

The American Recovery and Reinvestment act: What it means for Idaho

Accountability.Idaho.gov, is a website established to enable Idahoans to follow the allocation and use of money provided to state by taxpayers—today and into the future—through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the federal stimulus package. See also:

Governor of Idaho: http://gov.idaho.gov/
Idaho Legislature: http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/

The Governor has issued an Executive Order establishing the Stimulus Executive Committee: http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/press/pr2009/prfeb09/eo2009-06.pdf

The Governor has issued appointed members to the “Stimulus Executive Committee” to oversee stimulus spending, according to these press releases: http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/press/pr2009/prfeb09/pr_007.html; http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/press/pr2009/prfeb09/pr_008.html

The Idaho Joint-Finance Appropriations Committee has developed a presentation on allocation of ARRA funds, which can be found at this web address: http://legislature.idaho.gov/Budget/JFAC/02-24-09.2.BudgetReview.pdf

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Montana

American Recovery and Reinvestment: What it means for Montana

This site (http://recovery.mt.gov/default.mcpx) is to allow all Montanans to follow how we are reinvesting and rebuilding Montana with funding from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. An estimated 11,000 jobs will be created or saved and the majority of Montanans will see tax relief.

Montana ’s official recovery website can be found at this web address: http://recovery.mt.gov/

The Governor posted a list of proposed projects under ARRA, as of January 2009, that is available at this web address: http://governor.mt.gov/docs/Infrastructure.pdf

According to a recent newspaper article, the Governor wants swift action on the stimulus funds, but some legislative leaders may want to slow it down so it runs through the normal budget process that gets finalized in late April. http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/26/news/state/24-stimulus.txt

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Federal funding opportunities

Stimulus funds
Initially, the best sources will be the new www.recovery.gov website and, for grant information, the established federal website, www.grants.gov. Eventually, the websites of the various federal agencies overseeing particular funds should have quality information as well.

Federal elected officials’ websites
U.S. Senators and Members of Congress have started posting information about how stimulus money will be dispensed in their home states and congressional districts.

Find your US Representative: click here.
Find your state’s US Senators: click here.

Farm Bill opportunities

Environmental Law and Policy Center (www.elpc.org)
The Environmental Law and Policy Center’s (ELPC) “Farm Energy” website (www.farmenergy.org) offers comprehensive information on the Farm Bill, success stories, funding availability and application tools, in-depth policy analysis, clean energy technology links on solar, wind, biofuels, biodiesel, geothermal, biogas digesters ,energy efficiency, publications and events. This is good site to bookmark. It always has the latest information.

Dsire USA (www.dsireusa.org)
Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiency

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Idaho Department of Agriculture (www.agr.id.gov)
The Idaho Department of Agriculture has a complete listing of federal loans and grants available. Follow the quick link “Marketing and Development” to “Marketing” and then to “Financial Assistance”. The “List of Grant and Loan Resources” has everything you ever wanted to know.

Montana Department of Agriculture (www.agr.mt.gov)
The Montana Department of Agriculture site lists USDA offices under the “References” section. The USDA offices page connects to the federal Farm Bill.

Oregon Department of Agriculture (www.oregon.gov/ODA/energy)
The “Energy and Agriculture” section contains a comprehensive list and links to programs and financial opportunities in the 2008 Farm Bill.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) (www.usda.gov/farmbill)
The Department of Agriculture’s main source of information on the Farm Bill. You can browse the site by subject. It has the latest news, transcripts of talks, up coming Farm Bill meetings and much more.

USDA Idaho Rural Development (www.rurdev.usda.gov/Id)
The “Farm Bill” section contains a comprehensive list and links to programs and financial opportunities in the 2008 Farm Bill. It lists the Farm Bill section numbers, titles and pages. There is a good Energy Summary sheet that describes each program, funding, and timelines. The site also has links to Idaho contacts.

USDA Montana Rural Development (www.rurdev.usda.gov/mt)
The “Business and Cooperatives” section contains a comprehensive list and links to programs and financial opportunities in the 2008 Farm Bill. It also has links to Montana contacts.

USDA Oregon Rural Development (www.rurdev.usda.gov/or)
The “Business Programs” section contains a comprehensive list and links to programs and financial opportunities in the 2008 Farm Bill. It also has links to frequently used forms, Oregon contacts, annual reports and basic information on how to finance your business in Oregon and energy resources.

USDA Washington Rural Development (www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa)
The “Business and Cooperatives” section contains a comprehensive list and links to programs and financial opportunities in the 2008 Farm Bill. It also has links to Washington contacts.

Washington Department of Agriculture (www.agr.wa.gov)
The “Energy Conservation in Agriculture” section (it’s under the “About WSDA” and “Agency Initiatives”) reviews varies energy efficiency measures that can be taken on farms and ranches and links to the Oregon USDA Farm Bill page.

Other opportunities

The Tax Incentive Assistance Project (TIAP)(www.energytaxincentives.org)
TIAP is sponsored by a coalition of public interest nonprofits groups, government agencies, and other organizations involved in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It provides information to individuals and businesses on federal tax incentives. It’s “On-Site Renewable Tax Incentives” section explains federal solar, geothermal and wind tax incentives, who qualifies and how the incentives work.

US Department of Energy - Wind Power America Program (www.windpoweringamerica.gov)
DOE’s Wind Power America initiative aims to get 20 percent of America’s energy from wind by 2030. This site is a great resource for funding, technical information and resources, contacts, and seeing what’s happening in around the country in individual states. “Financial Opportunities” gives up-to-date information on solicitations and other funding possibilities through DOE.

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) (www.awea.org)
AWEA is a national trade association representing wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry. The “Small Wind” section has a “Guide to the New Small-Wind Tax Credit” as well as all the information you want on what small wind is.