USDA Unveils Historic $7.3 Billion Investment in Rural Clean Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $7.3 billion in historic Inflation Reduction Act funding today for non-profit rural electric cooperatives through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program.

Sixteen rural electric cooperatives (co-ops) were selected for this transformative funding, including the first award to Dairyland Power Cooperative. These sixteen co-ops serve millions of rural households, farms, and businesses across 23 states.

The following is a statement from Jeffrey McManus, federal affairs advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

"With $7.3 billion in funding, we're witnessing the single largest investment in rural electrification since the Great Depression. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, this funding will not only provide rural communities served by these co-ops with clean and affordable energy, but also create thousands of good-paying jobs. This investment will strengthen the resilience of our energy infrastructure for generations to come -- while taking an important step to address the climate crisis."

"By funding clean energy projects such as wind, solar, and battery storage, these investments are set to reduce emissions and lower energy costs, while making rural power grids more reliable and resilient. This is a critical step toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for rural America. With USDA receiving 750 proposals totaling $47 billion in project requests, far exceeding the available funding, it's clear that Congress must further invest to meet the growing clean energy needs of rural communities."

Background:

The Inflation Reduction Act included $9.7 billion in cost-share grants and loans for rural electric cooperatives to invest in clean energy systems and reduce emissions. The New ERA program was announcedin May 2023 as part of a Biden Administration initiative to help rural energy providers bring clean energy to communities across the country.

For more on the New ERA program, see this NRDC blog.

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.