Locations in both the Arkansas and Missouri Lakes Region awarded energy efficiency project grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to a release from the USDA, the awards are a part of the Rural Energy for America Program which partners with farmers and small businesses to expand access to clean energy while also helping to lower utility bills. 

The release states that this program is investing $104 million in loans and grants that will support over 300 clean energy projects in 34 states. 

Several projects are included in both Arkansas and Missouri including a pair in the Lakes Region. 

In Arkansas, Parker Farm, LLC in Omaha is awarded a grant of $86,250 to purchase and install a 75-kilowatt (kW) solar array for their poultry farm. . The project is expected to generate 104,044 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy annually, which is enough electricity to power nine homes. Also in Arkansas , another grant awarded to the  Startup Junkie Foundation in Fayetteville will provide application assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses in all seventy-five counties in Arkansas.

In Missouri, the Branson King Resort located on Highway 165 near Green Mountain Drive is awarded a grant of $414, 579 for energy efficiency upgrades which include replacing and installing 172 windows, 163 exterior doors, and 540 LED lighting fixtures. According to the release, the resort qualified for the grant based on several factors including it's location in the established Branson Opportunity Zone as well as through the Federal Disaster Declaration for storm damage that occurred in the region in July and August of 2023.