This week, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced investments supporting climate-smart commodities, clean energy expansion, and critical infrastructure to lower energy costs.
The first announcement occurred on Monday, December 12th, when USDA revealed 71 projects being funded through the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities. This is the second funding pool announced for this opportunity, which was originally introduced in February of this year. This program allows USDA to finance partnerships supporting the production and marketing of climate-smart commodities by way of pilot projects lasting from one to five years. Details about the California projects selected are available here.
Later in the week, on Thursday, USDA announced the investment of $285 million through the Rural Energy for America Program. USDA is making 844 investments to help farmers, ag producers and entrepreneurs purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. Of those investments, 19 impact areas of rural California such as Sierra, Yolo, and Siskiyou counties. A full list of awards is available here. The program application period for Fiscal Year 2023 is open through March 31, 2023. More information about this continuing opportunity is available here.