TL/DR –
A car dealership owned by the family of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly received a nearly $315,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install solar panels. The grant was funded by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which Kelly opposed due to what he saw as “bad policy and wasteful spending.” This is not the first time Kelly’s dealership has benefited from taxpayer-funded federal programs, having previously received a nearly $1 million forgivable loan from the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Car Dealership Owned by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly’s Family Receives Solar Power Grant
A Mike Kelly Automotive Group dealership in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, owned by the family of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler, has received a grant of almost $315,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to install solar panels capable of powering 25 homes.
This grant comes from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, funded by President Joe Biden, which Kelly, R-16th Dist., opposed, citing “bad policy and wasteful spending.” The funds will enable the dealership to install a 261.9-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, projected to save the family business an estimated $27,300 annually.
Kelly’s Opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provided the grant, which was funded by Biden’s $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, infusing $1.05 billion into REAP. In 2023, Kelly stated he believed the bill would increase inflation. Following his vote, he criticized the $357 billion allocated to “climate change” legislation.
Previous Federal Aid to Kelly’s Dealerships
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly’s car dealerships, established in 1953, received nearly $1 million in forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Subsequently, Kelly faced criticism for having the PPP loan forgiven and for opposing President Joe Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan.
Responding to Kelly’s critique of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, the White House’s official account revealed that Kelly had “$987,237 in PPP loans forgiven.”
Understanding the Rural Energy for America Program
The Rural Energy for America Program aims to fund renewable energy systems or energy efficiency improvements for rural small businesses and agricultural producers, according to a USDA fact sheet. Following the Inflation Reduction Act, the maximum grant amount increased from $250,000 to $500,000 for small businesses, and from $500,000 to $1 million for agricultural producers, according to the USDA.
The Kelly family business was established in 1953 by George J. Kelly Sr., and his son, the congressman, took over in 1997. Kelly, first elected to office in 2009, is seeking an eighth two-year term this year.
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