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Minnesota Democrats in Congress are calling on the Trump administration to release funding they say is needed for clean energy projects benefiting rural farmers and businesses in Minnesota.
Minnesota Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar and 2nd District Representative Angie Craig recently authored a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins regarding Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funding.
REAP is among the many programs that has had its funding frozen by the Trump administration since January, and while funds were supposed to be released by the Department of Agriculture in March, many REAP grants are still under review and remain unavailable, according to the letter.
REAP was established in the 2008 Farm Bill, since when it has funded projects for 21,000 farms and rural businesses in the U.S., the lawmakers say.
REAP funding can pay for projects including grain dryers, LED lighting and heat mats for livestock, solar panels and energy efficient heating and cooling systems.
"We write to express our deep concern over reports that hundreds of contracted awards under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) remain frozen and inaccessible to Minnesota farmers and rural small businesses," the letter reads.
“This back and forth from the Department on a critical program has created a lot of uncertainty for rural communities in Minnesota.”
In the letter, the three Congresswomen ask Rollins to clarify which funds have been frozen or terminated as well as what assessments were used to make those decisions.
"Farmers have invested thousands of their own dollars into these projects because they are counting on the Federal government to uphold its commitments. At a time when the cost of operations is high and farmers’ access to markets is uncertain, supporting American farmers is critical," they say.