U.S. Senator Al Franken pushed a bi-partisan 5 year farm bill into law last year. Part of the bill is an energy efficient section known as “Rural Energy For America Program”. This would help rural farmers, businesses owners and ranchers with an opportunity to fund different renewable energy sources. Senator Franken visited a Minnesota farm utilizing REAP.
Jerome Walch of Rochester, MN was awarded a $13,750 cash grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’
Senator Franken visited the Walsh family farm just North of Rochester on Saturday. The Walsh’s used grant money from the USDA REAP program to fund a $52,000 solar panel project.
The panel has been installed for less than a month, so the exact numbers on how much they will save on their energy bills is not exact, but they estimate it will save them nearly 3/4’s on their bills.
“This is something that is good for Minnesota and good for Minnesota farmers,” says Senator Franken when he visited a Minnesota farm utilizing REAP. “The Walsh’s got a grant from the USDA for $15,000.”
Franken says this is the first facility he has visited that has benefited from REAP this session.
Sundance Energy Solutions of Hastings, MN worked with Walch on the 15kW ground mount project that will offset a large portion of his electric consumption on his organic dairy farm. Walch’s 15kW solar array went into production in September, 2015.
Photos of Senator Franken’s Tour
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