The Department of Agriculture will loan $900 million to rural electric cooperatives for smart grid technologies and improvements to generation and transmission facilities as part of the Obama Administration’s push for more efficient energy use, the agency announced.
The loans will be given to cooperatives in 14 states and is aimed at creating jobs in rural America.
“Rural electric cooperatives provide direct jobs and support economic growth in our rural communities,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “By financing electrical system improvements USDA and the Obama Administration helps ensure sustainable growth and business job creation. Investments in smart grid technologies will give rural electric utilities and their consumers one more tool to better manage use of electricity, increase reliability and lower costs.”
Where the money is going courtesy of USDA:
Delaware
• Delaware Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $28,300,000, to build 587 miles of new distribution line, improve 55 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Georgia
• Ocmulgee Electric Membership Corporation – $8,968,000, to build 238 miles of new distribution line, improve 33 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Iowa
• Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative – $9,000,000, to build 23 miles of new distribution line, improve 389 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Illinois
• Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative – $18,196,000, to improve 183 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Illinois and Indiana
• Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $462,526,000, to finance projects for capital additions, upgrades and replacement of existing generation and transmission facilities; to build 5 miles of new transmission line and improve 71 miles of existing transmission line.
Kansas
• Rolling Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $3,720,000, to build 17 miles of new distribution lines, and make other system improvements.
Michigan
• Great Lakes Energy Cooperative – $42,912,000, to build 122 miles of new distribution line, improve 221 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Minnesota
• Crow Wing Cooperative Power and Light Company – $22,400,000, to build 49 miles of new distribution line, improve 147 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Minnesota and Wisconsin
• East Central Energy – $50,000,000, to build 174 miles of new distribution line, improve 158 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Missouri
• Consolidated Electric Cooperative – $15,980,000, to build 42 miles of new distribution line, improve 25 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Montana
• McCone Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $9,364,000, to build 13 miles of new distribution line, improve 61 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
• Marias River Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $4,260,000, to build 21 miles of new distribution line, improve 12 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Oklahoma
• Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative – $23,500,000, to build 37 miles of new distribution line, improve 206 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas
• Western Farmers Electric Cooperative – $184,100,000, to finance generation and transmission system improvement projects and new construction; to build 16 miles of new transmission line, and improve 18 miles of existing transmission line.
South Dakota
• Union County Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $2,690,000, to build 16 miles of new distribution line, make improvements to 26 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
Texas
• Navarro County Electric Cooperative, Inc. – $15,800,000, to build 148 miles of new distribution line, improve 253 miles of existing distribution line, and make other system improvements.
