News Release 132
Energize Missouri Agriculture Grants Attract Missouri Farmers
Volume 38-132 (For Immediate Release)
Contact: Kerry Cordray
573-526-4220
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 19, 2010 – Missouri farmers and agricultural producers gearing up for the onset of spring are also busy planning ways to save money on their energy bills. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources reports that more than 300 farmers have applied for Energize Missouri Agriculture cost-share grants to purchase energy-saving equipment since the grant program was announced in January.
With five weeks to go before the April 20 application deadline, so far farmers have asked for about $1 million of the $3 million available. “These grants could help a lot of Missouri farms, and we’d like to see more applications from all over the state before the April 20 deadline,” said Davis Minton, the department’s Deputy Director for Operations, himself a Bootheel area farmer. “Farmers can save substantially on energy costs year after year with the right energy-efficiency equipment, and these grants help make up the up-front costs more affordable.”
Identifying some common errors submitted in grant applications, the department's Division of Energy has the following reminders for those interested in applying for grants:
- Apply Before You Buy -- Purchases made before a grant is issued and signed do not qualify for reimbursement. After an April 20 application deadline, a technical review panel will review all applications. Grant award offers will be sent to successful applicants, and once applicants sign the grant they may move forward right away to buy the equipment and request their grant funds. The department will notify approved applicants shortly after the application close-out date.
- Online Applications Require Detailed Information – Check to make sure the grant application is fully completed, including providing information for the equipment to be purchased by the applicant. A paper application form is also available at county soil and water district offices and online at dnr.mo.gov/transform/energizemissouriagriculture.htm. Applicants must use the paper application form to submit an application by mail. Printed versions of the electronic online application will not be accepted. The department is contacting applicants who filed incomplete applications to assist with completion of the application.
- Technologies that Qualify - many kinds of energy-efficient equipment may qualify for a grant, including cooling fans for livestock facilities, dairy facility improvements, grain-drying equipment, solar-powered livestock watering systems, insulated waterers, solar powered fencers, lighting systems, motion sensors and timers, high efficiency electric motors, GPS and auto-steer systems for tractors and applicators, irrigation system upgrades and improvements, and biomass furnaces or boilers. Applicants also may submit applications for other new and innovative technologies that can be applied to agricultural energy efficiency.
- Grant Amounts – After signing the grant contract and purchasing qualifying energy-saving equipment, participants will receive grants of 75 percent of the cost of the equipment purchase, up to a maximum reimbursement of $5,000.
Anyone interested in applying for Energize Missouri Agriculture energy efficiency funding may visit the department's Energize Missouri Agriculture Web page at dnr.mo.gov/transform/energizemissouriagriculture.htm for more details.
Funding for Energize Missouri Agriculture cost-share grants comes from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, managed by the Department of Natural Resource.
For more information on the federal Recovery Act, visit recovery.gov. For more information on Missouri's transform initiatives, visit transform.mo.gov. For more information, contact the department's Energy Center at P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443 or visit dnr.mo.gov.
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