CARSON CITY — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hiring 40 Climate Change Fellows to help with the record numbers of applications from farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses seeking funding for clean energy projects under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
The new positions are being paid for by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in implementing policies centered on the climate, a key pillar of Bidenomics and part of the Investing in America agenda.
In Nevada, REAP has funded photovoltaic systems that reduce utility costs for agricultural producers as well as energy-efficient renovations of buildings crucial to rural communities.
The positions are part of the USDA Climate Change Fellows Program, which hires new staff with a range of skills to carry out USDA’s activities to “address climate change and find solutions to agricultural challenges, enhance economic growth and create new streams of income for farmers, ranchers and producers.”
The Inflation Reduction Act provided REAP with $2 billion of funding to meet growing demand from farmers and small business owners looking to expand their use of wind, solar and other forms of energy and make energy efficiency improvements that save business owners money and in some cases generate new revenue sources though net metering and power purchase agreements.
So far, USDA has made $1.25 billion of that available and has seen a dramatic increase in grant applications under the program.
The program is part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which made it a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Three of the new positions will report to USDA Rural Development’s national office.
Two fellows each will be based in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota.
One fellow each will be based in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware/Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.
To apply for a position in one of these states, visit the USA Jobs posting online.
Initial appointments may be for up to two years. Additional one-year extensions may be made up to four years.
Most states will receive additional funds, announced at a later date, to provide REAP technical assistance in addition to these staffing positions.