Michigan farmers have a new incentive to try propane-powered agricultural equipment in 2026, with reimbursements designed to offset upfront costs while also generating real-world performance data on propane technology.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is promoting its 2026 “Propane Farm Research Program,” which compensates participating farmers for purchasing eligible propane-powered farm equipment and documenting how it performs in day-to-day use.
In the Michigan Farm News coverage, the program is described as compensating farmers “up to $10,000” and covering “up to 25% of the price of any single item” when participants buy propane equipment and share usage details as part of the research effort.
Why propane is getting attention now
PERC positions the program as both an adoption incentive and a data-collection initiative—farmers test equipment in real conditions, and the results help validate where propane can fit on farms (and where it needs improvement).
Trade coverage has also framed PERC’s farm rebates as a practical way to reduce the cost of propane equipment adoption while collecting “real-world data” on the technology.
Other relevant funding context
Michigan also has propane-related resilience funding on the infrastructure side through the state’s Propane Resilience Enhancement Program (PREP), which focuses on storage capacity and supply adequacy rather than farm equipment purchases.
Separately, USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) can support agricultural producers with grants and loan guarantees for energy efficiency improvements, which may be relevant for farms planning broader energy upgrades alongside equipment changes.
