U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development South Dakota State Director Nikki Gronli today announced tengrants totalling $3.2 million to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for South Dakota farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
“Farmers and small businesses are benefiting from the real cost savings of the Rural Energy for America Program,” said Gronli. “We're seeing new sustainable energy projects like geothermal and solar, and we're also seeing a large number of equipment upgrades from across rural South Dakota.” [Audio: MP3, 17 Sec, 410KB]
Today’s ten REAP investments in South Dakota, totaling more than $3.2 million include:
Golden Dakota Farms, LLC, will receive $1 million to install an anaerobic digester at a dairy farm near Elkton. The project expects to save more than $1.6 million in energy costs annually.
Coteau Tiling, Inc. will receive $22,480 to install a 52.5 kilowatt solar array at their tiling business in Revillo, replacing nearly $5,000 in energy costs per year.
Paul Deboer will receive $54,665 to install a geothermal heat pump system at a farm shop near Corona. This new system is expected to save more than $4,400 per year in energy costs.