Biden administration investing $93M to support rural Wisconsin jobs, clean energy

Two federal programs will invest almost $93 million in 23 projects that will create jobs and reduce energy costs for rural Wisconsinites, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. 

Those programs are Rural Energy for America, or REAP, and Powering Affordable Clean Energy, or PACE, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Julie Lassa.

The REAP program will provide $1.3 million in USDA grants for 21 businesses in rural Wisconsin that will help them adapt or expand their clean energy use, officials said. 

According to the USDA, three of those grants include $40,000 in Outagamie County for a wind turbine in Seymore, a $55,000 grant in Trempealeau County for a grain drying system in Arcadia and a $696,396 grant in Oneida County that will support installing a solar array in Rhinelander. 

The USDA also says it plans to invest $91.5 million in PACE program funding for solar sites in La Crosse and Dane counties. 

In La Crosse County, the funding will support Dairyland Power Cooperative’s $15.6 million investment in new solar at two sites, which will be connected to a battery storage system.

Last month, President Joe Biden spoke about how the administration’s energy initiatives support rural communities when he visited one of Dairyland’s solar arrays near La Crosse.

In a statement, Lassa said the USDA is investing in expanding renewable energy across rural Wisconsin. 

“This grant funding will invest directly in farmers, business owners, and cooperatives, helping lower energy costs and increase sustainability,” Lassa said. “With initiatives like these, together, we can continue our path forward to build a more resilient and prosperous future for people living and operating businesses in rural Wisconsin.”