Heather Bilden co-owns a cattle ranch with her husband in the central Montana town of Lavina. Like many ag producers their business runs on slim margins. They’re always looking for ways to lower costs and be more efficient, like changing their irrigation to pivot lines instead of flooding their fields.
"So when we did the pivot irrigation, it did help us use water much more efficiently, but it also came with a very steep electricity bill," Bilden says.
She found a solution in a federal grant to get solar panels that could offset her pivot line’s electric bill. The money came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program, often referred to as REAP.
While Bilden’s project was fully reimbursed by the grant, that isn’t the case for others. The Biden-era spending package REAP is a part of was targeted by President Donald Trump, and REAP funding remains blocked.
"I can't imagine, honestly, it makes my stomach kind of fall to think if we were in that situation," Bilden says.
Bilden joined 35 other ranches, farms and businesses calling on Montana’s congressmen to advocate for the funding.
The letter was organized by the nonpartisan group Citizens' Climate Lobby. The group's volunteers hand delivered copies to the offices of Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, and Reps. Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing.
Andrew Laue also signed the letter. He was awarded REAP funds to upgrade the heating and cooling systems for his mental health counseling practice in Polson, and to install rooftop solar to power the new systems.
Laue was awarded the money and paid up front for the solar panel installation. But when he went to apply for reimbursement, he was told the money wasn’t there. Now, he’s out $18,000.
"As we're collaborating with the federal government to, like, increase that ability and to make it more cost effective, suddenly that agreement gets broken and we're left holding the bag," Laue says.
Laue says he signed on to the letter to share his experience. He hopes Montana’s congressional delegation will take note of the impacts these frozen funds are having on their constituents.
In statements sent to MTPR, Reps. Downing and Zinke, and Sen. Daines encouraged those impacted to reach out individually. Sen. Sheehy’s office didn’t respond by deadline.
