The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) issued a statement applauding Congress for passing the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, generally known as the 2018 Farm Bill, this week. In a statement from the organization’s R. Neal Elliott, Senior Director of Research, ACEEE highlighted provisions in the bill for programs that advance and support energy efficiency in rural communities.
The bill included updates to the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which offers low-interest loans for energy efficiency improvements in homes and small businesses, and the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), which helps agricultural and rural businesses, including farms and ranches, install renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient technologies by way of loan guarantees and grants.
Technologies supported by REAP include heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; cooling or refrigeration units; high quality doors and windows; electric, solar or gravity pumps for sprinkler pivots; insulation; and efficient lighting. The program is so successful it is continuously oversubscribed, Elliott said in the statement.
