H AGERSTOWN, MD (September 26, 2018) – The Washington County Department of Business Development extends an invitation to local farms and agriculture businesses to apply for the 2019 Kathleen A.P. Mathias Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program that was recently launched from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA ).

This program was established by Kathy Mathias in 2012 and is leading into its seventh year with $175,000 dollars in available funding. MEA will provide grants covering up to 50% of the cost of eligible energy efficiency upgrades for farms and businesses in the agriculture sector. Projects receiving this grant must be cost effective and have a payback of 15 years or less.

Leslie Hart, Washington County’s Agricultural Business Specialist says, “Projects that have been funded in the past include, barn lighting upgrades, heating improvement upgrades and improvements, replacement of grain dryers with more efficient technologies, and bringing solar energy measure to farms.”