On August 7, 2015, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $63 million in loans and grants to be distributed through its Rural Energy for American Program (REAP). The $63 million is divided among 264 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects throughout the nation, in primarily rural communities. In addition to creating jobs and improving local economies, the newly announced REAP projects are expected to either save or generate 207.8 million kilowatt hours (KWh) of energy. REAP funds may be used by agricultural producers and rural small businesses to improve energy efficiency or install renewable energy, including solar, wind, renewable biomass, hydroelectric, ocean energy, hydrogen, and geothermal. Applications for the next round of REAP grants are due by November 2, 2015.

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On July 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is accepting applications for loan guarantees up to $250 million through the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, formerly known as the Biorefinery Assistance Program. The funding is divided into rounds one and two with applications due on October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2016, respectively. In addition to opening funding, USDA has improved the program to include the wider range of renewable products that are now part of the biobased industry. The application process for funding has been streamlined, and funding is now available for renewable chemicals, biobased products, and end-user products as well as the biofuels that the program originally covered. USDA's webpage on the program includes an application guide, fact sheet, and link to the July 16, 2015, webinar.

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On December 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the final rule for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP is intended to help mainly businesses, as well as some state, local, and tribal governments develop solar, wind, and biomass projects. This new rule will change the requirements for those applying for funding from the grant and loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements in rural areas. There is now a three-tiered application process based on the total project cost for funding that reduces the technical reporting requirements of the previous system. The final rule also modifies scoring criteria for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement projects, and creates deadline dates for grant and guaranteed loan applications. USDA estimates that this rule will have net cost savings of approximately ten million dollars as a result of decreased costs in program implementation. This final rule becomes effective on February 12, 2015.

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