No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)—which provides grants to eligible entities for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance, as well as grants and guaranteed loans for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems to agricultural producers and rural small businesses—as follows: (1) requires the Secretary of Agriculture to promote greenhouse gas emission reductions from funded projects; (2) expands eligible entities for energy audit and development assistance grants to include producer cooperatives and nongovernmental organizations; (3) adds greenhouse gas reduction potential as a selection criterion for both those grants and for financial assistance; (4) authorizes limited case-by-case financial assistance to agricultural producer cooperatives and rural electric cooperatives that do not otherwise qualify; (5) increases the maximum grant percentage for financial assistance to 50% (from 25%); (6) establishes a streamlined application process, including bundled applications for projects eligible under multiple program components; (7) expands outreach requirements to include technical assistance for applicants and education for recipients on integrating renewables with crops or livestock; (8) increases the maximum amount for specified assistance to $50,000 (from $20,000); (9) requires a study on dual-use energy systems (i.e., renewables co-located with crop or livestock production), with a report to Congress within two years including a recommendation on expanding program eligibility; (10) exempts projects with shared energy metering between an agricultural operation or rural small business and an associated residence from requirements that generated energy be used onsite by the operation or business; and (11) caps funding for outreach, technical assistance, and education at 8% of annual appropriations.