Animal Housing

Get Funding to Upgrade Your Operation

There are numerous places to get funding for animal housing upgrades to reduce utility bills and improve overall performance, including:

  • The USDA’s REAP program offers competitive grants that pay up to 50% of eligible costs on energy efficiency and renewable energy equipment.
  • NRCS’s EQIP program offers competitive grants that cover LED lights, tube heaters, ventilation fans, and other animal housing equipment (exact equipment covered by EQIP varies by state).
  • Site surveys and Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMPs) are often covered by NRCS through CAP 228. This means you can receive a full-operation energy audit with suggested improvements at no cost.
  • Many utilities offer rebates for installing energy efficiency and renewable energy equipment. These rebates can often be combined with USDA grants to further reduce installation costs.
  • Section 179 of the tax code (EPACT) offers income tax deductions for installing energy efficiency equipment. These deductions are either 100% of lighting or insulation upgrade cost or $1.20 per square foot of your operation, whichever is less. This deduction may only be claimed once. Ask your tax accountant for details.

Contact Energy Improvement Matters at 317-228-0134 to discuss your plans for animal housing upgrades!

Past Winner Testimonials

  • Mr. Akin described getting his grant as “easy,” saying, “You all did everything we expected you to do.”
  • Mr. Patterson says, “I liked that when I called with a question, it was answered promptly. It was good that I knew you and you knew me. It was a very personal experience. The grant process was really easy because you all made it easy.”
  • Ms. Swinney says, “I would do it again. It was well worth it.”
  • Mr. Jones, who won both a REAP and an EQIP grant, says it’s “well worth your time. It’s just a matter of getting information together and getting it to you. Then the energy office asks you to complete some forms. The time I spent on the phone with you and driving to the Rural Development office was about 8 hours total. It was less than two weeks from the time I told Rural Development, ‘We’re done. Come check it out,’ to the time I got my money. That’s a good deal.” When asked about his experience with EIM, he says “I thought you all were great. The process was smooth and I think a lot of that was because of you all. Any question I had, you were able to answer. I was one of two or three people in Arkansas who got awarded both REAP and EQUIP and I think that was because of EIM. I was surprised I was able to win with houses that were only 6 or 7 years old.”