Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) at an Event in Portland Last Year.

Sixteen United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants and loans worth $2.1 million for businesses in midcoast Maine were announced today by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-lst District).  The infusion of rural development funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congressioal Democrats and signed by President Biden.

“I was proud to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which incuded over $10 billion for the rural utilities service, including over $2 billion for the Rural Energy for America Program.  The truth is that rual development programs like REAP are oversubscribed because they are so necessary to the bottom-line of businesses like those including awards today.  That’s why I have fought every Republicn attempt to claw back IRA funds for rural renewable energy programs and pushed to increse their funding.  Congratulations to all of those well-deserving Maine businesses which now have the resources to reduce their carbon footprints and cut their utility costs at the same time,” said Pingree at Cedarworks in Rockland today.

Today’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) loan and grant recipients in Maine’s 1st District include:

$170,496. grant for EAGLE INDUSTRIES, Inc. in Hollis;  $23,795, in loan guarantees for VERTIAL HARVEST, LLC; $48,687 in grant money to FARMER KEV’S ORGANIC, LLC, West Gardiner; $43,150 in grant money to NOYES FAMILY FARM, LLC, Albion; $376,226 in grant money to CEDARWORKS, INC., Rockland;  $18,076 to 299 GRAND ARMY LLC, Whitefield; and $17,663 to Brunswick ANP LLC, Brunswick.;

In addiion to the 7 USDA loans and grants announced in Maine’s First District of Congresswoman of Chellie Pingree, 9 REAP grants amd loans were announced in Maine’s Second District.