U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad announced in late July 2024 an investment of $250,000 through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program Technical Assistance Grant (REAP TAG) for Manufacture Nevada, an industrial extension program of the University of Nevada, Reno.
This Rural Development investment addresses a need in Nevada from rural small businesses and agricultural producers for technical assistance to successfully apply for federal REAP assistance necessary to fund the installation and implementation of renewable energy systems, as well as wind and geothermal energy being underutilized renewable energy technologies in Nevada. With these funds, Manufacture Nevada will aim to connect and resolve these issues, assisting at least 13 agricultural producers or rural small businesses to apply for assistance under REAP for Energy Efficiency Improvements, or Renewable Energy Systems while informing them how to improve or deploy those improvements and systems, also increasing REAP awareness.
This exciting USDA investment helps continue promoting and supporting small and medium-sized manufacturers in Nevada.