In a March 28th announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an infusion of $120 million into the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) to fund 541 projects. Improvement in infrastructure through the REAP included:
- Installation of wind turbines at a grain storage facility in Nebraska generating 138,000 kilowatt hours per year.
- A biomass furnace to be installed by an Idaho facility to replace obsolete equipment
- A Maine farm will be able to install a roof-mounted solar system generating 50,000 kWh annually.
USDA has assigned $1.8 billion to the REAP program for more than 6,000 renewable energy projects to lower costs, generate income and improve resiliency.
As with many USDA projects under the current Administration it is questioned whether there will be adequate control over expenditure and eventual confirmation that benefits accrue to the recipients and community. A total of 6,000 projects over three years is a prodigious 
quantity to control with the potential for misappropriation, wastage and failure to attain desired benefits. Will the USDA ever provide an accounting to taxpayers? Will the quantum of expenditure receive appropriate scrutiny by the GAO?