Energy industry experts, owner of Michigan’s oldest farm speak to how irresponsible decisions by Trump administration are harming rural Michigan communities
LANSING, Mich. (June 4, 2026) — Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, chaired by Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo), held a hearing to highlight how the Trump administration’s rollbacks to clean energy and efficiency projects are costing Michigan farmers. The owner of a 250-year-old family farm — Michigan’s oldest — and energy industry experts shared testimony on the cancellation of renewable energy projects and grants under the federal Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
“The Trump administration continues to remove access to renewable energy improvements that are proven to preserve our environment for generations to come and lower energy costs — all while pushing forward inefficient, expensive energy plans without any care that our residents, especially our farmers, are now paying the price,” said Sen. McCann. “I will continue to highlight how these rollbacks are inflating costs for hardworking people, harming our farmers and communities statewide. Amid the record-high cost of living, these decisions coming out of D.C. are nothing but cruel and reckless.”
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is administered by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) and provides funding opportunities to rural farms and agribusinesses looking to make their energy more efficient and affordable. REAP grants often cover up to 50% of installation costs for clean energy systems and offer loans that cover up to 75% of project costs. On August 18, 2025, the USDA announced it would end subsidies for solar panel systems on productive farmland. Now, numerous REAP energy projects statewide are in limbo and costing Michigan farmers millions of dollars, as the grant funding they received has been ripped away from them.
“Harvest Solar has 24 affected projects across 18 Michigan businesses. Together they represent about $18 million in solar investment, most of it structured around REAP grants covering up to half the project cost,” said Allen Bonthuis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Harvest Solar, in testimony today. “Of that, $7.7 million in projects are already complete — built, energized, and paid for in full by our customers, who are now waiting for a reimbursement that may never come.”
“We did what the government asked us to do, we relied on the government’s commitment, we made plans of good faith, and for us it’s not easy to absorb that loss,” said Kyle de Beausset, local produce farmer from Michigan’s oldest farm, in testimony today. “It was a $120,000 project, we would’ve gotten $60,000 back, and that’s more than the revenue we got for last year, so it’s not easy. We understand why it was there — this program was there so that farmers like myself can make bigger investments like this over the long-term, which was something I was going to be proud of, to maybe have the next generation inherit and have reduced energy costs.”
This committee hearing follows a slew of actions taken by Michigan Senate Democrats to safeguard our state and residents from the dangerous, unprecedented cuts and decisions happening in the federal government.
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