Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI) is offering free energy coaching to assist farms and small businesses in applying for federal grant funding for renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement projects.
The CEDI is a nonprofit consortium of Energy Districts based in 13 Iowa counties, including the Muscatine County Energy District in the Quad Cities region.
The training will offer guidance to those applying for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For assistance, farmers and small business owners throughout Muscatine County may contact Mark Patton. He is employed by CEDI as an energy coach for the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). He can be reached by email at [email protected] or at (563) 299-1839.
Mr. Patton serves the Iowa counties of Delaware, Jackson, Johnson, Linn, Muscatine, Tama and Polk, which all have Energy Districts.
The USDA is accepting REAP grant applications that, if approved, would fund 50% of the cost of renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement projects.
Who is eligible?
Eligible projects include: biomass, geothermal, small and large scale wind generation, and small and large scale solar generation. Eligible projects for REAP energy efficiency improvements include: high efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems, insulation, lighting, cooling or refrigeration units, doors and windows, and replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.
Project ineligible for grant funding include: any residential use, tractors or implements, new construction, or upgrades to buildings, which do not currently consume energy.
CEDI provides priority assistance to customers and communities traditionally underserved by REAP. It includes areas defined by USDA as disadvantaged communities and distressed communities. CEDI also offers priority assistance to applicants with small grants ($20,000 or less) or grants for underutilized technologies.
Along with Mr. Patton, CEDI also employ Energy Coach Steve Hopkins. He provides assistance in these Iowa counties: Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Dubuque, Howard, and Winneshiek. He may be reached at: [email protected] or (641) 831-3552.
For more information or to apply for CEDI REAP coaching, please fill out the inquiry form at: www.cleanenergydistricts.org/reap.
