Area small businesses and farmers may be eligible for 50% or more in cost-share funding for energy projects ranging from solar panels, lighting and insulation upgrades, HVAC improvements, and more.
The WNC Energy Cost-share Assistance Program (energyCAP), a nonprofit program of Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council in Marshall, NC, is able to directly assist with the application process for the various grants available.
“We know that farmers and small business owners are busy, so we try to take out the hassle and make these funding opportunities clear and easy to apply to.” said Alex Arnold, the program’s coordinator.
If a business or farm has high energy bills but doesn’t know where to start, Arnold says, “the best place to start is to give us a call. We can do a site visit, or just a quick conversation over the phone, and help determine what avenues would be best to take first to lower the business’s energy bills.”
The program helps area business owners apply to a number of grants, including the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission’s AgEnergy grant.
More information can be found at www.energycap.org, or call 828-649-5115.
