USDA Invests in Renewable Energy Infrastructure to Help Rural Communities, Businesses and Ag Producers Build Back Better

. 

Projects Will Support Climate-Smart Solutions to Lower Energy Costs in 48 States
and Puerto Rico

ATHENS, Ga., Sept. 9, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $464 million to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help rural communities, agricultural producers and businesses lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico. 

 “USDA continues to prioritize climate-smart infrastructure to help rural America build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before,” Vilsack said. “We recognize that lowering energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers helps to expand economic development and employment opportunities for people in America’s rural towns and communities. The investments we are announcing today demonstrate how the Biden-Harris Administration has put rural communities at the heart of climate action and climate-smart solutions.”

 USDA is financing $129 million of these investments through the Rural Energy for America Program. This program provides funding to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. These climate-smart investments will conserve and generate more than 379 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in rural America, which equates to enough electricity to power 35,677 homes per year. 

 USDA is financing $335 million of these investments through the Electric Loan Program. The loans will help build or improve 1,432 miles of line to strengthen reliability in rural areas. The loans include $102 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital communications to detect and react to local changes in electricity usage.

 The department is announcing investments today in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico. 

For example, In Georgia:  

•  In Barnesville, Ga., Southern Rivers Energy will use a $32.5 million loan to connect 2,298 electricity consumers and to build and improve 706 miles of line. The loan includes $9.7 million for Smart Grid investments, including the installation of 271 miles of fiber backbone. Southern Rivers serves 19,957 members over 3,012 miles in Bibb, Crawford, Coweta, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties in Georgia. 

• In Vienna, Ga., Middle Georgia EMC will use a $10 million loan to connect 638 electricity consumers and to build and improve 39 miles of line. The loan includes $143,000 in Smart Grid technologies. Middle Georgia EMC serves 8,179 consumers over 2,003 miles in Ben Hill, Dooly, Houston, Macon, Pulaski, Turner and Wilcox counties.
   
• The following Georgia Rural Energy for America Program investments are also announced today:

To learn more about these and other resources for rural areas, contact a USDA Rural Development state office. 
 

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page. 

 USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.