The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating nearly $6 million for 31 renewable energy projects in Pennsylvania. These initiatives aim to reduce energy costs, and generate income and jobs for farmers, agricultural producers, and rural small businesses. The funding will be distributed across twelve counties, notably including Lancaster (10 projects) and Bradford (6 projects). This follows a separate $90 million investment for a solar project in Clearfield County, which is expected to power 70,000 homes, marking the state’s largest such project.
Significant grants of $1 million each from this new funding will support solar system installations at a pallet company in Snyder County and a biotech company in York County, with capacities of 1.5 megawatts and 1.2 megawatts respectively. Carlisle Productions in Cumberland County will receive $657,000 for a 749 kilowatt solar system.
The funding will benefit a wide range of recipients, including farmers, power equipment manufacturers, and a trucking company, continuing the commonwealth’s pattern of supporting solar projects and energy-efficiency upgrades through USDA grants. Previously, in January, the USDA awarded $5 million for 34 projects, as part of a nationwide disbursement of $200 million. In December, another $1 million was allocated to 17 projects. Since 2021, over $39 million has been directed to more than 300 renewable energy projects in Pennsylvania by the USDA’s Rural Development program.
Funding sources include the Inflation Reduction Act, which dedicates $400 billion to renewable energy projects through subsidies, grants, and loan guarantees. The Act aims to stimulate economic growth by supporting clean energy and reducing costs.
