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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 JA N UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 7 ere are two ways to qualify for the REAP grants, Jones says: renew- able energy and energy effi ciency projects. "So with biomass, you can have one project qualify as renewable and one as energy effi cient," she adds. She encouraged expanded use of biomass. "It's good for Maine because Maine has a long legacy in a wood- based economy," she says. "In Maine only wood has been the fuel of choice but you could use other fuels under REAP such as hay, cord wood and grain, which haven't been used in Maine so far." She says about 15 to 30 REAP projects are funded each year in Maine, which has a $400,000 allocation. Wilson added that REAP includes grant and loan funds for small busi- nesses and farmers. Agricultural producers must own 51% or more of their enterprise and it must be a for- profi t business in a rural community with fewer than 50,000 residents. No work on residences qualifi es nor does any work on the farm that was done before the application is submitted. He says energy effi ciency improve- ments include lighting, motors, heat- ing, cooling, ventilation, automated controls, insulation and even maple syrup producers who use reverse osmosis in processing the syrup. Used equipment cannot be funded, although factory-refurbished equip- ment with a warranty can. e application process requires time, and Wilson encourages appli- cants to talk to him fi rst to help see what is covered, and how they can improve their chances for a grant. e application requires three years of tax returns, a technical report for the project, a detailed breakdown of costs, qualifi cations of the project team, the amount of energy expected to be saved and 12 months of utility bills. Wilson said there were 44 applica- tions in fi scal year 2016 requesting a total of $1.3 million in grants. About three-quarters of them involved renewable energy. Of the 44 submis- sions, 27 were funded for a total of $620,000. Of those, 21 applicants asked for less than $20,000 and six asked for more, with the largest getting $151,271 for a ground-mounted solar system. In all, 10 counties in Maine got funding. Development grants Also at the show, Maine Department of Agriculture Commissioner Walter E. Whitcomb announced six Agricultural Development Grant Program awards totaling $248,375. e projects are for improvements in the profi tability of Maine-grown crops; reducing costs associated with drought or other natural crop disturbances; product enhance- ments for value-added, nutrition, mar- keting and/or food safety; and national, local and regional market development. " e investments being announced today strengthen Maine agriculture and will help farmers and producers realize their full economic potential," Gov. Paul LePage said in a statement when the awards were announced. e preliminary selections were chosen by a review committee from 23 proposals responding to a request for proposals. Of the 23 received, six projects have been tentatively identi- fi ed pending approval by the State of Maine Purchases Division and the successful completion of a State of Maine contract. ey are: ¡ Maine Aquaculture Co-Op of Tenants Harbor, $46,000: for development of ear-hung scal- lop aquaculture infrastructure through cooperative model and new t echnologies ¡ Maine Cap N Stem LLC of Gardiner, $32,600: project to increase production capacity of B2B mushroom farm to meet Maine demand ¡ Maine Landscape and Nursery Association of Augusta, $50,000: for "Plant a pollinator Garden!" promotion to support Maine's Nursery Industry ¡ The Hop Yard LLC of Portland, $19,775: to create viable com- mercial hop bales ¡ Undine Marine, LLC of Damariscotta, $50,000: construction and beta testing of the Mark II Submersible Mussel Raft in Maine ¡ Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine of Orono, $50,000: wild blueberry school food service program. 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Bangor Savings Bank is here to help you with all your banking needs. Stop in to see us today! 1.877.Bangor1 | www.bangor.com We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than We drew more than 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 5,000 attendees and 120 exhibitors...We had more people than ever. — John Bott Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

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