One Monhegan business and four Waldo County businesses are among 16 awardees and one loan being distributed by the  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to help increase access to solar energy in Maine. 

Businesses in nine counties (Cumberland, Hancock, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, and York) will receive grants to cover up to half the cost of projects to install on-site solar panels. Rural Development will also provide a loan of $5.025M to Alna Community Solar. The grants and loan come through the agency’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Monhegan Brewing Company LLC will recieve $21,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to help Monhegan Brewing Company LLC on Monhegan Island, Maine, install a new 8.2-kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system with battery storage. The system is expected to save the business $6,754 in annual energy costs. 

James Tripp Construction will recieve $11,775. This Rural Development investment will be used to help James A. Tripp Jr. dba James Tripp Construction in Monroe, Maine, install a new 12-kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system is expected to save $2,017 in annual energy costs. 

Hall Brook Farm will recieve $64,307. This Rural Development investment will be used to help Pheonix O'Brien dba Hall Brook Farm, an organic produce operation in Thorndike, Maine, install a new 50-kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system is expected to save $11,324 in annual energy costs. 

Ararat Farms LLC will recieve $104,500. This Rural Development investment will be used to assist Ararat Farms, an organic vegetable and berry operation in Lincolnville, Maine, install a new 65-kilowatt (kW) roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system is expected to save $10,646 in annual energy costs. 

Lake St. George Brewing Company Inc. will recieve $51,600. This Rural Development investment will be used to help Lake St. George Brewing Company Inc. in Liberty, Maine, install a new 42-kilowatt (kW) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The system is expected to save $10,434 in annual energy costs. 

The full list of grants in Maine announced in this round is available at this link: https://tinyurl.com/3en7e7wf .