Howard County Farmer Sees Savings with Clean Energy Grant

12 February 2010

(Kokomo)—Lt. Governor Becky Skillman announced 12 Alternative Power and Energy (APE) Grant awards totaling $388,955.  The money, part of a federal grant program administered by the Indiana Office of Energy Development, will partially fund the purchase and installation of six solar power arrays and one wind turbine. The awards are the result of a competitive grant program that opened in November 2009.

The lone Howard County grant recipient is Kokomo-area farmer Curt Silvey.  Silvey will install a grid-connected 3 kW solar array to offset electrical consumption of his grain dryer.  Grain drying is energy-intensive and the expense is concentrated into only a few months of bills.  Using solar energy will allow him to generate electricity year-round, accumulating credits generates from Duke Energy.  Those credits are then applied to the larger bills after harvest. 

The grant proposal was written and submitted by Green Alternatives (GAi), a Kokomo-based renewable energy contractor who will install the system for the Silveys.  “This is our second solar project in the Kokomo area funded by an APE grant,” Stated Chris Rohaly, CEO of GAi. “Farmers are always concerned with the rising cost of energy.  With last year’s wet harvest season, we believe that this type of innovative application of renewable energy will help farmers cope with the rising cost of grain drying while putting clean energy into the electrical grid.”

“This is an example of the future in creating the platform for new jobs for Kokomo and Howard County, “ said Jeb Conrad, President & CEO of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance. “It is important that our community embrace the future of alternative energy and leverage the assets and talent locally to build new opportunities.”

The APE grant is a competitive grant program funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. It is designed to increase awareness and utilization of alternative energy resources as well as to create vocational opportunities for Hoosiers interested in renewable energy. 

Public entities, small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Indiana were eligible to apply for the program. Grants for 50% of an alternative energy project up to $100,000 were made available. Approved technologies include Solar, Wind, Microhydroelectric, and biomass.

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Last modified: February 13, 2010