Rural Business Energy Efficiency Improvement Loan Program

The Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) offers low-interest loans for energy efficiency improvements to farms and rural businesses through the Rural Business Energy Efficiency Improvement Loan Program. The program is designed to facilitate the purchase of equipment or technology that lowers business energy consumption. Applicants must have a credit score of at least 650 without any bankruptcy during the prior seven years to qualify for a loan.

Unsecured loans from $2,500 to $30,000 are available at a fixed interest rate of 4% under this program. Loans will be fully amortized over a term of two to seven years, not to exceed the anticipated energy savings payback period. Loan payments will correlate with the anticipated energy savings payback with at least a 1.0:1.0 ratio of debt service coverage to annual energy savings payback. Loans may not exceed the cost of improvements minus any grants received for the project. The program also offers an additional grant incentive of 10% of the loan for borrowers that remain in good standing on their loan repayments. All applicants must include a letter of referral from a commercial lender and a copy of an energy audit report completed by a qualified third-party auditor with the application. There is a $75 loan origination fee associated with participating in this program, payable at closing.

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