USDA Unfreezes Energy Funds for Farmers, but Demands They Align on DEI

Last night, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would release funds already granted to farmers through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and two other programs that pay for energy production and efficiency. However, the agency is requesting farmers make changes to their project contracts so that they align with Trump directives on energy production and DEI, a task experts say may not be legal or possible.

These grants were paid for by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and many small farms used the funds as a cost-share to afford solar arrays on their land, simultaneously reducing their long-term energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

In a day-one executive order, Trump ordered agencies to freeze that funding and to determine whether the grants aligned with policies to “unleash America’s affordable and reliable energy.” A separate executive order directed all agencies to terminate funding related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), which are also known as DEI initiatives.

In yesterday’s announcement, the USDA said farmers will have 30 days to voluntarily edit their projects to “remove harmful DEIA and far-left climate features.”

“President Trump made tackling America’s energy emergency a top priority from day one, and this review allows rural energy providers and small businesses to realign their projects with that mission,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in the release.