Making sense of renewable energy

By Jonathan Cook
Turley Publications Reporter

REGION - Much has been made in the national news about the increased funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
For farmers and rural small business owners, funding jumped 40 percent in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
But how on earth does one obtain a piece of this pie?
Enter Emily Boss of the Mass Farm Energy Program (MFEP), a group created to assist farmers and forest landowners write grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
She is putting on workshops across the state to provide a one-stop clearinghouse of information on opportunities available from the state and federal government.
“These workshop sessions include an overview of technical and financial assistance programs, eligibility requirements, and anticipated application announcements,” she said.
“If people are thinking about doing something, they should come to this workshop,” Boss said.
She added that successful grant applicants are those who are “on the ball, ahead of time.” That includes having an energy audit performed on a farm or forestry operation. Boss said the audit can cut costs and reduce energy requirements at very little cost and is considered an important step toward developing a renewable energy production plan, such as solar, wind or biomass.
How to access an energy audit or help in finding a reputable designer for a renewable project will also be available from the panel of presenters at the workshop.
The western regional workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Amherst Tuesday, Jan. 19 (snow date Jan. 20) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Office, Conference Room 101 University Drive, Suite C4.
An example of what can be done, includes Carter & Stevens Dairy Farm in Barre. They received $28,828 toward a $115,310 wind turbine in 2008. Another example is wholesale nursery, Pioneer Gardens in Deerfield. They received $33,538 toward a $134,150 investment in a greenhouse thermal blanket and efficiency lighting system. That job is expected to save the nursery almost $80,000 per year and will pay back the investment in less than two years.
All of this comes at a time when petroleum based fuel products have increased more than 30 percent in recent years. To help local farms become sustainable in such a climate, MFEP assists in utilizing any and all available help. Boss emphasizes that many farms can access more than one program.
Last year, REAP, alone, assisted rural small businesses in this state with almost $2.5 million in grants and $1.5 million in loan guarantees.
MDAR’s Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program (AEEP) provided $275,000 in funding for over 20 energy related projects including refrigeration, biomass boilers, photovoltaic, wind, and auto-start irrigations systems for cranberry bogs. MDAR also funded projects related to anaerobic digestion, outdoor wood boilers, and zero-net energy buildings for an additional $125,000.
In short, MFEP helps obtain grants from NRCS and USDA through programs such as AEEP, REAP, EQIP and BCAP.
If that is clear, skip the workshop.
Otherwise, call Boss at (413) 397-8800 or email emily@masswoodlands.coop to register. For more information on Mass Farm Energy, visit berkshirepioneerrcd.org.