The USDA has announced more than $256 million in loans and grants for clean energy projects in 40 states.
Michigan farms and rural businesses will get more than $22 million — nearly 9% percent of the announced total — if the grants come through.
Sixty-nine rural businesses and farms in the state will get grants, ranging from, for example, $1 million for solar panels at the Devereax Saw Mill in Ionia County, to roughly $10,000 to help the Blue Ridge Blueberry Farm in St. Clair County upgrade its lighting and irrigation equipment.
Many of the grants are for solar arrays and roof mounted solar systems for dairy, hog, and other types of agricultural businesses.
That the grants come from the Inflation Reduction Act makes them not a complete certainty at this point.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to claw back any unspent IRA funding once he takes office.
Federal agencies are reportedly rushing to put announced IRA grants and loans under contract, which could make it harder for the government to back out of paying.
