Nebraska Corn Board: Energy grants make sense

Nebraska

The Nebraska Corn Board is encouraging Nebraska farmers and irrigators to take advantage of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant program designed to help them make energy efficiency improvements on their farms.

The grant program is valued at more than $22 million, according to Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. The money has been available under the USDA 9006 energy program for the previous three years, and approximately $22 million is expected to be available for fiscal year 2006.

Hutchens said the USDA grant funds could apply towards reducing energy costs for irrigation systems or pumping systems. They could also be used to help with insulation, refrigeration or lighting systems on the farm or in an agribusiness operation.

"Farmers and ranchers are in a prime situation, with high energy costs, to use these grant funds in areas of their operation that could help them be more energy efficient," said Hutchens. "Or they might want to use them to establish long term energy generation systems like methane digesters, wind turbines, solar systems or even biomass systems."

Grant requests can be made for up to 25 percent of project costs, with a minimum of $1,500 and maximum of $250,000 for energy improvements. For renewable projects, the minimum is $2,500 and the maximum is $500,000.

"These programs are going to be more popular this year with farmers looking for ways to reduce energy costs, so it just makes sense to start the process now," Hutchens said. "Resources are out there to help with determining the type of energy improvement or project that might best fit a specific producer's needs. Application deadline for 2006 is March 1, 2006.

We encourage farmers to contact their extension educator, local utility provider or local USDA Rural Development Specialist. Or they can contact our office at 800-632-6761."

More information can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html or by going to the Nebraska Corn Board website at www.nebraskacorn.org.

The nine-member Nebraska Corn Board collects and disburses the funds generated by the 1/4 of a cent per bushel corn checkoff. Nebraska corn checkoff funds are invested in programs of market development, research and education.

Date:1/25/06