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Rural & Agricultural Energy Assistance Program

​​​​​​​​​​The Oregon Department of Energy's Rural & Agricultural Energy Assistance​​ Program helps fund energy assessments for Oregon rural small businesses and agricultural producers.​​
​About the Program 

The Oregon Department of Energy received $100,000 through an Energy Audit​ and Renewable Energy Development Assistan​ce Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture​ (known as a REDA grant) to help fund energy assessments for Oregon farms and ranches and rural smal
Irrigation pivot near Pendleton.JPG
l businesses.

ODOE is using the grant funding to pay for 75 percent of the cost of an energy assessment, payable to the assessor. So far, energy assessments supported through the program have ranged between $4,000 and $8,500 – don’t let these costs be a barrier to you making your business more energy efficient!​​

Meet the ORAEA team and learn more with this quick informational video:
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​​Notice anything different? The program name has been udpated to the Oregon Rural & Agricultural Energy Assistance Program to better reflect the broad range of support offered!

Read more about the ORAEA program in our FAQ.​


How to Participate​​

ODOE is now accepting interest forms from Oregon agricultural producers and rural small businesses. ​

Interested participants should gather information about your site's energy use (recent utility and/or energy bills) and information about any efficiency projects you may be interested in.

Fill out the interest form with as much information as you can, and one of our program staff will connect with you. You don't need to know everything up front – our program staff are here to help guide you through the process. Filling out the interest form is not an obligation to proceed with the program, just a first step in assessing whether this program is the right fit for you, and helping you access the resources that will best help you make informed decisions and achieve your goals.


About Energy Assessments

An energy assessment of an agricultural producer or rural small business will be conducted by an​ approved assessor who inspects buildings, processes, and equipment to measure efficiency and identify improvements that can save energy. For businesses considering investing in renewable energy like solar to offset energy u​sage, making energy efficiency improvements first can reduce the size (and costs) of the renewable project they’ll need. An assessor will determine opportunities to reduce energy use and costs, and can help prioritize projects based on energy savings, payback period, and other factors​. 

Federal, local, and utility funding may be available to rural small businesses and agricultural producers​​​ for making energy improvements, and an energy assessment is often a required step. For example, an energy assessment is required when applying to the USDA Rural Energy Assistance Program, which offers both grants and loan guarantees to rural small ​businesses and agricultural producers for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. 

​​The cost of an energy assessment can vary from about $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the size and scope, and can be a significant barrier for businesses. By covering 75 percent of that cost, ODOE hopes more Oregon rural businesses and farms can participate in an energy assessment to identify potential improvements, and take advantage of USDA and other funding. ​




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