Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur successful restored some funding for the Rural Energy for America Program – or REAP – during Tuesday’s House Appropriations Committee meeting on the ag spending bill. The Ag Appropriations Subcommittee had eliminated all REAP funding the previous week – but Kaptur and her colleagues were able to restore 1.3-million dollars for fiscal year 2012. Environmental Law and Policy Center Senior Policy Advocate Andy Olsen says keeping the program alive will benefit greenhouse growers, dairy farmers, solar manufacturers and other businesses in the heartland.

The next actions will occur when the full House considers appropriations and in the Senate – where work on ag funding has not started. The ELPC expects the Senate to propose higher funding for REAP.

REAP provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for a wide range of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The program has funded projects across a diverse range of agricultural sectors in every state.