Small Farm Fund Finder
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FederalRolling / continuousLoan / creditNationwide

Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)

USDA Rural Development

Zero-interest USDA loans to rural utilities and co-ops, which re-lend to farms and rural households for energy efficiency upgrades — repaid on the utility bill. Ask your electric co-op whether they run a RESP program.

Typical award
Consumer loans up to $40,000 through participating utilities
Deadline
Rolling — depends on your utility's participation
Type of support
Loans & credit · Climate & energy
Who can apply
Individual producer, Non-profit, Tribal
Fits these operations
Vegetables & produce, Orchard & fruit, Mixed / diversified, Value-added & food business

Am I eligible?

  • Customer of a participating rural utility or electric co-op
  • Upgrade must reduce energy use (insulation, HVAC, coolers, lighting, irrigation motors)
  • Utility account in good standing

How to apply

  1. 1Call your electric co-op and ask if they participate in RESP
  2. 2Request an energy audit of the farm buildings and cold storage
  3. 3Choose upgrades from the utility's approved measures list
  4. 4Sign the on-bill financing agreement and schedule the work

What you'll need

  • Recent utility bills
  • Energy audit results
  • Contractor quotes for the upgrades

Timeline & contact

1–3 months from audit to installation
Get help: Your rural electric cooperative; USDA RD state energy coordinator

Ready to apply?

Applications go through USDA Rural Development, not through this site. Open the official page below for eligibility rules, forms, and contacts. For federal programs it's worth calling your local USDA Service Center or Cooperative Extension office first — they help with paperwork for free and know what your county actually funds.

Open official page

This listing was last hand-checked August 2026.

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