Grants available for rural wind turbines

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Farmers, ranchers and rural business owners are eligible for grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help cover the cost of installing small wind turbines.

The USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program will accept grant applications through July. The grants can be used to purchase and install small wind turbines or other renewable energy systems, covering up to 25 percent of the installed cost. When used in conjunction with the Federal Investment Tax Credit, the cost covered can reach 50 percent.

The grants are geared toward farmers and ranchers garnering 50 percent or more of their gross income from agricultural operations or rural small businesses with fewer than 15 employees. Industry experts pointed out that the applications can take several weeks to complete and must be submitted to the local USDA Rural Development offices by July 31.

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Information can be downloaded from Colorado’s USDA Rural Development office at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/co/ by clicking on the Renewable Energy link. For more information, contact the office’s northeast area director Cheryl Scofield at 970-332-3107, ext. 4 or the renewable energy coordinator April Dahlager at 720-544-2909.