Johnson County company receiving $815k grant for solar array

A Johnson County company is receiving a more than $815 thousand dollar grant to upgrade its facilities with solar power.

The USDA is announcing the next round of grants from the Rural Energy for America Program. The agency announced today that it has awarded more than $3.4 million to three Indiana companies for their projects in the most recent funding cycle. The program is meant to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements including expanding wind, solar, geothermal and small hydropower energy.

In Johnson County, Macbeath Hardwood Company is receiving a $816,360 grant to install a solar array. This project will provide 820 kilowatts saving the business more than $123 thousand dollars annually. That will come from offsetting enough energy to power 89 homes for a year.

The agency also announced a grant of almost $375 thousand in Jay County for a grain dryer at a farm and a $346 thousand in Allen County to provide a solar array at a company manufacturing windows and doors for homes.

USDA will continue to accept applications for the program’s competitions through Sept. 30th.