About This Program:
The Agricultural Energy Grant Program provides reimbursement funding for equipment and infrastructure that helps Massachusetts agricultural operations reduce energy use, lower operating costs, improve energy efficiency, and implement eligible renewable-energy projects. Applications are submitted through the Climate Smart Agriculture Grant Program.
Is this program right for your project?
This program may be a good fit if your project will:
- Reduce electricity, heating-fuel, or other agricultural energy use
- Replace inefficient agricultural equipment or systems with more energy-efficient technology
- Improve the energy efficiency in dairy operations, greenhouses and nurseries, maple operations, or other agricultural operations
- Reduce agricultural operating costs through measurable energy savings
- Install an eligible renewable energy system such as photovoltaics (PV – Solar)
- Reduce greenhouse-gas emissions associated with agricultural energy use
Who can apply?
Eligible Massachusetts agricultural operations may apply. Applicants must meet the agricultural-operation, operational-history, site-control, and other eligibility requirements in the current RFR.
Examples of eligible projects:
The examples below illustrate common eligible projects and are not intended to be a complete list. Applicants should review the current RFR for complete eligibility requirements.
- Energy-efficient dairy equipment and systems
- Energy-efficient maple production equipment
- Greenhouse heating, insulation, controls, and thermal improvements
- Agricultural building energy-efficiency retrofits
- Energy-efficient refrigeration and cold-storage improvements
- Eligible heating, ventilation, lighting, and control systems
- Eligible renewable-energy systems, including solar projects that meet current program requirements
- Other agricultural equipment or infrastructure that provides a documented energy benefit
What projects are not a good fit?
- Equipment without documented energy savings
- General building improvements
- Routine replacement
- Residential or non-agricultural energy improvements
What should the project accomplish?
Projects must address a clearly identified agricultural energy issue or need. Applicants should explain how the project will reduce energy use, lower operating costs, improve efficiency, replace an inefficient system, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, or generate eligible renewable-energy benefits. Renewable energy projects should be appropriately sized to meet the agricultural energy needs of the operation.
Funding:
- Up to $50,000
- 80% reimbursement
- 20% applicant contribution
- Additional technology-specific limits may apply to renewable-energy projects
Funding limits, renewable-energy caps, and eligibility requirements may change by grant round. Applicants must review the current RFR.
Apply Online:
- Review the current Climate Smart Agriculture Program RFR.
- Confirm that your operation and proposed project are eligible.
- Select Energy as the project area in the combined CSAP application.
- Select the applicable agricultural energy category.
- Complete the required project, energy-use, budget, timeline, and outcome sections.
- Upload all required quotes, equipment specifications, calculations, and supporting documents.
- Submit the application before the deadline.
Apply through the Climate Smart Agriculture Grant Program.
Next Steps: Before you apply
Be prepared to provide:
- A clear description of the current agricultural energy issue or need
- Information about the existing equipment, system, or energy use
- An explanation of why the proposed project is the appropriate solution
- Estimated annual energy savings or renewable-energy production
- Estimated annual financial savings and other energy-related benefits
- Project goals and measurable expected outcomes
- An itemized budget
- Vendor quotes and equipment specifications
- Information about utility incentives, grants, tax credits, or other project funding
- A realistic project timeline
- Permit, utility, and interconnection information, when applicable
- Ownership or lease documentation, when required
- An energy audit, technical assessment, calculations, photographs, maps, or plans, when applicable
Next Steps: After you submit
MDAR will review applications for eligibility, completeness, program fit, project need, expected outcomes, feasibility, and overall value. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
How projects are evaluated:
Reviewers consider:
- The seriousness and clarity of the agricultural energy issue
- How directly the project addresses the identified need
- Existing energy use and the reasonableness of projected savings
- Whether the goals and expected outcomes are clear and measurable
- The project’s expected energy, financial, and greenhouse-gas benefits
- Project cost effectiveness
- Technical feasibility and readiness
- Applicant capacity
- Overall project value and funding priority
Reimbursement
Awards are reimbursement-based. Grantees must complete the approved project and provide invoices, proof of payment, photographs, and any other required documentation before payment.
Not sure this is the right program?
Projects intended primarily to improve agricultural composting operations may be a better fit for the Agricultural Composting Improvement Grant Program.
Projects intended primarily to improve food safety, washing, packing, handling, or storage may be a better fit for the Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program.
Projects focused primarily on soil health, nutrient management, water quality, or other environmental conservation practices may be a better fit for the Agricultural Climate Resiliency (ACRE) Program.