Solar projects across Maine will be getting loans through a Department of Agriculture program announced Thursday. The Rural Energy for America program is investing $285 million in infrastructure projects nationwide to combat climate change and expand access to clean energy in rural America.
In southern Maine, solar projects in Gorham and South Berwick will be getting nearly $20 million in loans. Together, the projects will have 12 megawatts of capacity.
Other solar projects in Bangor, Bethel, Lincoln, Limestone, Mapleton, Medway and Westfield will also be getting federal loans totaling over $60 million.
The funding is from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. In a press release, the Department of Agriculture says the act represents the biggest investment in rural energy since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
