REAP grants: paused, not dead (2026 status)

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) — the one that helps farms pay for solar arrays, grain dryers, and efficiency upgrades — is the most-searched “farm grant” out there, which is exactly why so much of the internet is wrong about it right now.

Here’s the verified truth as of July 2026: REAP grants are paused. USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced it would make no further grant awards pending a rewrite of the program’s rules, and the October 2024 funding notice was formally rescinded on April 15, 2026. The program isn’t dead — USDA has said it will accept applications again after the new regulation publishes — but no date has been announced.

So:

• A listicle telling you to “apply now for REAP grants” is wrong — there’s nothing to apply to.
• A listicle telling you “REAP is dead” is also wrong — the guaranteed loans are still open, and the grants are expected back.

What you can do right now

• If a loan guarantee fits your project, that door is still open year-round through participating lenders.
• If you want the grant, the smart move is to get your paperwork ready now (REAP grants require SAM.gov + a UEI, which take time) so you can move fast when it reopens.
• Get on the notify list below — we track this program’s status and will email you the day USDA reopens grant applications, so you don’t have to keep checking.

What REAP grants funded (for when they return)

Grants covered up to 50% of project cost — renewable-energy systems from $2,500 to $1 million, and energy-efficiency improvements from $1,500 to $500,000 — for agricultural producers (at least half of income from farming) and rural small businesses.