HR6287-119

What This Bill Does

The REAP Modernization Act amends the Rural Energy for America Program to require USDA to promote greenhouse-gas reductions through funded projects. It adds producer cooperatives and nongovernmental organizations to eligible participants, adds greenhouse-gas reduction and climate benefits to program criteria, raises the grant share for renewable energy systems from 25 percent to 50 percent, and requires a streamlined application process for grants, financial assistance, and bundled projects. The bill expands outreach into outreach, technical assistance, and education, including help for applicants and education on integrating renewable energy projects with crop or livestock production. It raises a small-grant threshold from $20,000 to $50,000, requires USDA to study dual-use energy systems such as agrivoltaics and report within two years on whether REAP should support projects that generate more energy without significantly affecting farm operations or converting farmland, and removes certain energy-use requirements for projects serving residences that share meters with farms or rural small businesses.

Who Benefits and How

Agricultural producers, rural small businesses, producer cooperatives, and nongovernmental organizations benefit from broader eligibility, higher grant shares, streamlined applications, and technical assistance. Farmers considering dual-use energy systems benefit from study and education on combining renewable energy with crop or livestock production. Climate and rural-energy advocates benefit from REAP criteria that value greenhouse-gas reductions.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA must revise REAP criteria, applications, outreach, technical assistance, grant-share rules, small-grant thresholds, and dual-use energy study requirements. Federal taxpayers may bear higher grant costs because the renewable energy system grant share rises to 50 percent. Applicants may need to document greenhouse-gas reductions and climate benefits.

Key Provisions

• Requires REAP to promote greenhouse-gas reductions from funded projects.
• Expands eligible participants to producer cooperatives and nongovernmental organizations.
• Raises renewable energy system grant support from 25 percent to 50 percent.
• Requires streamlined applications for grants, financial assistance, and bundled projects.
• Expands outreach to include technical assistance and education on renewable energy integration with crops or livestock.
• Requires a dual-use energy systems study and report within two years.