Zero Emissions Northwest (ZEN) Achieves Milestone with $3M in Grants

Spokane, WA – July 24, 2024 – Zero Emissions Northwest (ZEN) is proud to announce significant achievements in USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant awards from Q4 2023 to Q22024. As part of its ongoing mission to support sustainable energy solutions for agriculture and rural businesses, ZEN has successfully secured millions of dollars of funding for various counties across the Inland Northwest region, with more grants still pending and in the review process.

More than $3 Million in Grants
In the last 8 months, ZEN has been instrumental in applying on behalf of our customers for more than $3M in grants and has been awarded $1.4M in awards. While many of the Q3 REAP grants are still under review, their status should be announced no later than October 2024. This funding has been and will continue to be distributed across multiple Pacific Northwest states, supporting projects that align with ZEN’s objective to promote energy savings for local businesses.

To put it in perspective, in the past decade (2012-2022) historical REAP grants & USDA loans in Adams and Lincoln County in Eastern WA was $210,306. Since ZEN’s formation in 2023, our projects in these two counties have been awarded $725,773 in grants only.

What does this mean for Eastern WA, Idaho and surrounding areas?
These remarkable figures reveal that smart energy-savings investments are happening within the agricultural and rural sectors right here in our very own backyard, improving businesses operations and bottom lines. It means a new shop door & insulation for your farming neighbor, or more efficient chillers at your local grocery store, new washing machines for that rural laundromat in town, or a new heat pump for a local brewery.

How ZEN Helps
ZEN + Partners for Rural Washington (PRWA) is officially contracted through the USDA as a Technical Assistance Contractor for the REAP program. ZEN offers comprehensive energy assessments, grant writing, feasibility studies, and technical support to farmers and small businesses in rural areas. Aside from REAP, ZEN also offers a Solarize group-purchasing program for solar as well as a fleet tuning software upgrade to combat unnecessary idling and a cleaner fuel additive that saves up to 10% on a farmer’s diesel operations.

What is REAP?
REAP stands for the Rural Energy for America Program through the USDA. Eligible projects include agricultural producers and rural small businesses looking to improve their energy costs through the use of:

• Renewable Energy: Anaerobic digesters, geothermal, hydropower, hydrogen, solar, wind, etc.

• Energy Efficiency Improvements: High-efficiency HVAC, doors, windows, insulation, and lighting, replacing energy-inefficient equipment, etc.

For a breakdown of counties across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, please see the tables below:

A Future of Growth and Prosperity
As we continue to witness the transformative effects of ZEN's involvement within the agriculture and rural small business sector, it becomes evident that this is just the beginning. With such remarkable success already observed in the first and second quarter, we are optimistic about what the future holds for our Inland Northwest farming communities and beyond.

For more information on ZEN and our initiatives, please visit www.zeroemissionsnorthwest.com.

About Zero Emissions Northwest
Zero Emissions Northwest is a small energy consulting firm dedicated to developing and deploying practical technologies to reduce emissions in the rural Pacific Northwest. Through partnerships, education, and advocacy, we strive to promote sustainability for a better future in the communities we proudly serve.