A $3.3 million USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant helped restore a historical giant that was instrumental in shaping Wisconsin’s global agricultural significance  

CHAMPAIGN, IL, March 5th, 2025 - Homeownership has become an increasingly difficult achievement for many Americans. Will County resident, Candace, was recently able to achieve her dream on Feb 27th, 2025, thanks to a collaboration between four organizations: USDA Rural Development, Will County Habitat for Humanity, Will County Land Use, and the Illinois Housing Department Authority.

This project is to construct and operate the Liberty Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine Project (Project) in Casey and Marion Counties, Kentucky. The Project would include construction and operation of an approximately 214-megawatt (MW) net reciprocating engine power plant, a new asset that is necessary to meet projected load demand and support the integration of increased amounts of intermittent renewable energy generation on the EKPC system.

Cyber-attacks on public water and wastewater systems endanger public safety and national security.  Rural utilities are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats, which can jeopardize the integrity of water distribution and treatment processes.  Small water utilities serving populations of 10,000 and below very often feel they don’t have the resources or don’t know where to find those resources to help them with the cybersecurity of their facilities.

Rural communities and small towns could teach master classes in creative problem solving for operating on tight budgets and stretching scarce resources.