Millions of dollars more are being invested in rural electric utilities by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA announced this week the investment of $309 million in 16 projects in a dozen states. Oklahoma utilities were not the recipients of the funding announced by Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett.
But funding went to utilities in Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico in the region. The Bluestem Electric Cooperative in Kansas received $9,755,000 to build 30 miles of new line and improve 44 miles. Bluestem is headquartered in Wamego.
Two utilities in Missouri received funding too. Webster Electric Cooperative serves nearly 18,000 residential and commercial customers in southwest Missouri and received a loan of $21,350,000 to build 9 miles of line and make improvements to 67 existing miles of line.
The other Missouri utility, Sac Osage Electric Cooperative headquartered in El Dorado Springs received a loan of $10,500,000. It will be used to construct 32 miles of new line and improve 14 miles of existing line.
The New Mexico utility, Lea County Electric Cooperative received a loan of more than $36 million to build 73 miles of line and improve 57 other miles. The cooperative serves eastern New Mexico and is headquartered in Lovington. It also serves customers in west Texas and has more than 4,254 miles of line.
The largest of the USDA loans announced totaled nearly $44 million.
“Robust, modern infrastructure is a foundation for quality of life and economic opportunity no matter the zip code in which you live,” Hazlett said. “Under Secretary Perdue’s leadership, USDA is committed to being a strong partner in addressing rural infrastructure needs to support a more prosperous future in rural communities.”
Hazlett made the announcement here today during a visit to the Central Iowa Power Cooperative. One of its members, Farmers Electric Cooperative in Greenfield, Iowa, is receiving a $1.4 million USDA loan to invest in smart grid projects. Farmers plans to install more than 5,800 single-phase meters and additional meter reading equipment in its west-central Iowa service area.
Hazlett also announced that Harrison County REC, in Woodbine, Iowa, is receiving a $6 million loan to build 20 miles of electric line, improve 57 miles and make other system improvements. Its loan includes $578,000 for smart grid projects.
The loans announced today are being made through USDA’s Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee program. It helps finance generation, transmission and distribution projects; system improvements; and energy conservation projects in communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
Farmers Electric Cooperative and Harrison County REC join many other rural electric cooperatives and utilities that partner with USDA to use smart grid for computer applications, two-way communications, geospatial information systems and other tools to increase the reliability and efficiency of electric power systems.
Today’s investments will build or improve 1,660 miles of electric line serving rural homes, farms and businesses. USDA is funding infrastructure improvements for utilities in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota and Washington.
Funding for these loans was included in the FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. It allocates significant resources for infrastructure investments, including $6.25 billion to USDA for electric loans. The measure also directs Secretary Perdue to make investments in rural communities with the greatest infrastructure needs.
In addition to funding in the 2018 Omnibus bill, President Trump has proposed a $200 billion infrastructure investment plan that allocates 25 percent ($50 billion) to rural projects.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on