The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will grant more than $3 billion to seven rural electric cooperatives through its Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program.
Nearly $2.5 billion will go to not-for-profit clean energy supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. The supplier provides power to 41 rural electric companies throughout the West and Midwest.
Over $1 billion is allocated for six cooperatives that include suppliers servicing Minnesota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas.
The total investment is part of $6.4 billion in funding that will go toward generating 1.75 GW of renewable energy for rural communities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6.4 million tons.
According to CNET, Tri-State Generation has agreed to cut its rates for its rural customers by an estimated 10% over the coming decade, as well as offset 1,100 MW of previously announced coal-fired energy generation, resulting in a pollution reduction of 5.8 million tons each year.
“All across America, rural electric cooperatives play an important role in delivering reliable sources of energy to rural communities,” Ali Zaidi, the White House’s national climate advisor, said in a statement. “By helping rural cooperatives upgrade infrastructure and invest in newer, lower cost clean electricity projects, these investments will benefit rural families and businesses who for too long have faced disproportionately high energy costs due to the challenges of providing electricity in remote communities.”
Read more here.