Summary

Revises the Rural Energy for America Program to promote greenhouse gas reductions, broaden who can apply, change cost‑share rules, streamline applications, and create new funding controls and studies. It requires technical assistance and outreach, caps administrative spending, establishes a reserve for underused renewable technologies, and directs a study and report on dual‑use energy systems within two years. The bill increases the applicant cost‑share requirement, adds producer cooperatives and nongovernmental organizations as eligible applicants, allows bundled and streamlined applications, removes a residential‑metering use restriction for shared properties, and inserts a $50,000 numeric figure into existing program text while updating cross‑references.

• Adds greenhouse gas emission reduction as an explicit program objective and selection criterion.
• Expands eligible applicants to include producer cooperatives and nongovernmental organizations.
• Raises the applicant cost‑share requirement from 25% to 50%, increasing the portion paid by project sponsors.
• Creates streamlined and bundled application options to simplify applying for multiple or joint projects.
• Requires technical assistance, outreach, and guidance for shared‑land energy projects.
• Removes the rule that energy on residentially‑metered shared properties must be used by the farm/business, increasing flexibility.
• Caps administrative/outreach spending at 8% of program funds annually and establishes a 15% reserve for underutilized renewables with carryover.
• Mandates a study and congressional report within two years on dual‑use energy systems with recommendations on program scope.
• Adds a $50,000 numeric insertion into program text and updates statutory cross‑references.