Energy Efficient Farmstead Retrofit Program

Missouri Agricultural and Energy Saving Team – A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO)

Legal Authorization: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Competitive Block Grant (DE-FOA-0000148)

Description

MAESTRO offers tools and incentives for farmers to improve energy efficiency on livestock farms. The program provides the following assistance to farmers:

Comprehensive energy audits for the farm home,
Farm energy management plans (EMP) and free technical assistance,
Rebates for the cost of the audit and EMP,
Loan Loss Reserve Program to encourage lenders to finance the energy efficiency improvements on both the farm and home,
Interest Buy Downs or Down Payment Grants to the applicants to reduce the interest rate, principal amount or payback time for the retrofits, and
- Incentives of up to $12,000, not to exceed 75% of total energy retrofit project cost.

Definitions

Home Energy Audit – a comprehensive BPI certified energy audit approved by University of Missouri that includes detailed recommendations about specific equipment.

Energy Audit Rebate – a cash rebate for the farmer’s cost of the audit is available if the installed retrofit(s) as recommended by the home energy audit finding(s) provide a 15% or greater energy savings.

Farm Energy Management Plan (EMP) – shall mean a comprehensive energy audit that includes detailed recommendations about specific equipment and field operations completed in accordance with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Standard 612.

Farm Energy Management Plan (EMP) Rebate - a cash rebate for the farmer’s cost of the audit is available if the installed retrofit(s) as recommended by the EMP finding(s) provide a 15% or greater energy savings.

Technical Assistance – assisting the farmer in calculating the energy savings from a specific technology or system installed on the farm.

Implementation Grant – a farmer who receives an EMP, TA, and/or farm home energy audit can qualify for an incentive of up to $12,000, but not to exceed 75%, of the total energy retrofit project costs. No more than $3,000 shall be used for the farm home retrofit. The projected energy savings from the installed retrofit(s) must provide at least a 15% energy savings to qualify for this incentive.

Interest Buy Down –The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority ( MASBDA) will pay interest due on loans, for the implementation of audit- identified energy saving technologies, from the normal and customary rate down to a 3 percent rate. The projected energy savings from the installed retrofit(s) must provide at least a 15% energy savings to qualify for this incentive.

Cash Down Payment – farmers may elect to receive the same dollar amount as the Interest Buy Down amount as cash down payment rather than the Interest Buy Down. If the farmer elects to receive the cash down payment then the interest rate shall be the bank’s normal and customary interest rate. The projected energy savings from the installed retrofit(s) must provide at least a 15% energy savings to qualify for this incentive.

Loan Loss Reserve – a dedicated fund established for the purpose of payments of defaulted 75 percent guaranteed loans. The total outstanding loans guaranteed shall at no time exceed an amount which according to sound actuarial judgment, would allow immediate redemption of 10 percent of the outstanding guaranteed loans by the fund at any one time. MASBDA has no legal or financial obligation beyond the funds committed to the loan loss reserve and is not subject to further recourse in the event losses exceed the amount of the loan loss reserve. The projected energy savings from the installed retrofit(s) must provide at least a 15% energy savings to qualify for this incentive.

How does the Program Work?

Contact EnSave at 800-732-1399 to have an initial assessment completed to determine whether an energy management plan is appropriate for the farm operation or to receive free technical assistance regarding an energy saving technology upgrade. To participate in the financial assistance programs available, please read the full guidelines and complete the applications posted at the bottom of this page.

Who is Eligible?

Animal agriculture farmers not required to be permitted as a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO),
Applicant must be a legal resident and at least 18 years old,
Applicant must be able to provide proof of citizenship or immigration status, identity and residence. If the borrower employs laborers, he/she must also provide proof of enrollment and participation in the federal work authorization program.
An eligible lender is any state or national bank, farm credit system, bank for cooperatives, federal or state chartered savings and loan association, federal or state building and loan association, or small business investment company all of which must be subject to credit examination by an agency of the state or federal government,
Eligibility will not be determined or otherwise affected by any consideration of race, religion, sex, creed, color, or residence, other than the individual borrower must be a legal Missouri resident at least 18 years of age, and the farm and/or farm house must be located in Missouri.

Other Information

Records: MASBDA reserves the right to ask for additional information necessary to ensure program eligibility.

Audit: MASBDA reserves the right to audit approved loans to ensure compliance with program requirements.

Note

If a property or building has historic value, a determination must be made whether the recommended energy retrofits will have an adverse effect on the historic significance before MAESTRO funds can be approved.

Prior to a loan loss payment being made, the lender shall provide proof of compliance (copy of MOU) with the federal work authorization program (E-verify).