BILLING CODE: 3410-XY-P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[Docket #: RBS–22–BUSINESS–0029]
Notice of Processing Timeline Change for the Rural Energy for America Program for
Fiscal Year 2024
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Rural Business- Cooperative Service (the Agency) is issuing a notice of the
Agency’s intention to remove the self-imposed restriction that all Fiscal Year (FY) 2024
applications that are submitted under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) prior to
June 30, 2024, and were not funded in the national unrestricted pooling competitions, must be
withdrawn. The Agency is also updating its approach for application reviews. This Notice also
outlines the Agency’s prioritization of Underutilized Renewable Energy Technologies (UT) in
National Office competitions for FY 2024.
DATES: Applicable [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL
REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: You are encouraged to contact your United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Rural Development (RD) State Energy Coordinator well in advance of the application
deadline to discuss your project and ask any questions about the application process. Contact
information for State Office Energy Coordinators can be found at
www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_StateEnergyCoordinators.pdf.
Program guidance and application forms may be obtained at www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/all-programs/energy-programs. To submit an electronic application via grants.gov,
follow the instructions for the REAP funding announcement located at www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Burns, Program Management
Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 774–
678–7238 or email CPgrants@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Extension for REAP FY 2024 Applications
The Agency published two funding opportunity notices and a correction notice in the Federal
Register for REAP for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024. The first funding notice was published
December 16, 2022 (87 FR 77059). The second funding notice was published March 31, 2023
(88 FR 19239), and the correction notice was published May 31, 2023 (88 FR 34823). The
second funding notice and the correction notice are applicable to applications received on or after
April 1, 2023 (FY 2024). The two notices state that obligations will take place through
September 30, 2024, and complete and eligible applications which were not funded in the
national unrestricted pooling must be withdrawn.
Due to the continued overwhelming response of the funding opportunity, the Agency
continues to experience longer than anticipated turnaround times. The Agency recognizes this
may negatively affect applicants and, to provide equitable treatment, the self-imposed deadline
on the national unrestricted pooling competitions for FY 2024 will be extended. The Agency
will continue processing FY 2024 applications, those received through June 30, 2024, until
December 31, 2024. Unlike many prior years, National Office pooling of Unrestricted Funding
is estimated to occur within the first quarter of the 2025 calendar year.
Applications received by June 30, 2024, that remain incomplete on January 1, 2025, will be
withdrawn. Unfunded applications from the national competitions will not be moved into the FY
2025 funding cycle and must be withdrawn. Those applicants may submit a new application to
compete in FY 2025 competition(s) if they have not already started their project or incurred
project costs.
Agency Approach for Application Reviews

To maximize efficiency and address the backlog of applications, the Agency will use the
following processing procedures effective on the publication date of this Notice.
Completeness Application Review
If an application does not meet the definition of complete application, according to 7 CFR
4280.103, the Agency will send a notification identifying those parts of the application that are
incomplete and no further action will be taken on the application.
The Agency will give 15 business days for applicants to provide the missing documentation.
The application will be withdrawn, and the applicant notified if the required documentation is
not received within the 15 business days or if the information submitted by the deadline is
insufficient.
Application processing will continue if all documentation is received timely and is sufficient
to meet the definition of a complete application.
Eligibility Review for Complete Applications
The Agency will review for applicant and project eligibility and financial and technical
feasibility. If the Agency requires additional clarification or documentation, the Agency will
send a notification and give 15 business days for the applicant to provide the information.
The application will be withdrawn, and the applicant notified if the required information is
not received within the 15 business days or if the information submitted by the deadline is
insufficient.
Application processing will continue if all information is received timely and is sufficient for
determining applicant and project eligibility. The applicant will then receive a notification of the
eligibility review outcome.
Prioritization of Underutilized Renewable Energy Technologies (UT)
To carry out the Inflation Reduction Act’s intention to have set aside competition for UT, the
Agency anticipates holding National Office competitions, exclusively for projects proposing the

use of UT. These National Office competitions are anticipated to be held through the end of FY
2024, as needed.
In addition, the FY 2024 National Office Unrestricted pooled competition will first consider
funding project proposing the use of UT in accordance with the March 31, 2023, REAP NOSA
(88 FR 19239). This Unrestricted National Office pooled competition is anticipated to be held
within the first quarter of calendar year 2025.
Kathryn E. Dirksen Londrigan,
Administrator,
Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-15426 Filed: 7/12/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/15/2024]