The USDA has announced a pause in accepting Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) applications for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) due to overwhelming demand.
Key points include:
- Application Deadline: December 31, 2024, at 4:30 PM local time for FY 2025 funding.
- Funding Requests: Over 3,000 applications received, requesting more than twice the available funding.
- Processing: USDA will continue processing remaining FY 2024 and FY 2025 applications received by the deadline.
- Farm Bill Applications: Unaffected by this decision, can be submitted through March 31, 2025.
- Future Applications: Both REAP IRA and Farm Bill applications are expected to reopen on July 1, 2025, for FY 2026 funding.
This pause allows USDA to manage the application backlog effectively. Interested parties should act quickly to submit applications before the December 31 deadline for consideration in the 2025 funding round.
