New investments in rural communities across Georgia are made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, championed by Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff

Grants will assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems

Newton County will receive $1,000,000 to purchase and install a solar power system for farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses, spurring more than $200,000 in annual savings and generate enough energy to power 450 homes

Senator Reverend Warnock: “This latest set of investments will help our farmers and small businesses in rural communities adopt energy efficient systems designed to save them money and better protect our planet and its resources” 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced a slate of new federal grants for Georgia totaling over $7 million, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), legislation championed by the Senators for its investments in the state. This latest round of federal investments will assist Georgia farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems and in making energy-efficient improvements to their operations. The investments will go towards solar power, electric irrigation, and poultry house upgrades in 29 counties throughout the state. The funds were made possible by the IRA, which provided $2 billion to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvement grants for agricultural producers and rural small business owners. With the infusion of funds from the IRA, local communities will see greater federal support to cover the cost of energy efficiency projects.

Notable awards include grants for Troup County, which will receive $999,000 to purchase and install a solar array, saving the county $193,788 a year and generate enough energy to power 126 homes. Additionally, Coffee County is set to receive over $500,000 to convert a diesel irrigation pump to electric, purchase a roof-mounted, solar-energy replacement system for a six-house broiler poultry operation, and install a solar array for local poultry houses.

“This latest set of investments will help our farmers and small businesses in rural communities adopt energy efficient systems designed to save them money and better protect our planet and its resources,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Our rural communities are the heart of our state and too often get left behind when it comes to federal funding, so I’m deeply committed to continuing my work in Washington to reverse that trend in Georgia.” 

“Sen. Warnock and I continue to champion energy security and energy independence to lower energy costs for Georgia’s farmers and businesses,” said Senator Jon Ossoff. “I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Vilsack for helping deliver this investment in Georgia’s energy future.” 

See below for a full list of grant recipients:

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