USDA is investing $1.6 billion in 46 rural electric utility infrastructure projects to improve electric reliability and resilience in 24 states. 

“Reliable and affordable power is an underpinning for economic development and quality of life,” said Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett.

The 46 projects are being funded through USDA’s Electric Program. USDA’s funding will help build or improve 5,833 miles of line. It includes $307 million in smart grid technologies, which improve system operations and monitor grid security. These investments will benefit 7 million rural business and residential electric consumers across the country.

The projects include:

In Ohio, South Central Power Cooperative will use a $124 million loan to add 144 miles of line, improve 205 miles of line and make other system improvements, including a $24 million investment in smart grid technologies. South Central Power is the largest rural electric distribution cooperative in Ohio. It serves more than 119,000 residential and commercial consumers southeast of Columbus. Agricultural production is among the major contributors to the economy in the service territory.

Minnkota Power Cooperative will use a $67.4 million loan to finance generation and transmission improvements. Minnkota is a regional generation and transmission cooperative, serving 11 distribution electric cooperatives that provide electric services to portions of 20 counties in eastern North Dakota and 17 counties in northwestern Minnesota. The service territory is approximately 35,000 square miles and has a population of 300,000.

Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) will use a $93.9 million loan to finance transmission improvement projects that serve more than 1.8 million consumers. GTC supplies transmission service to 38 of the state’s 41 electric membership cooperatives. It owns and maintains approximately 3,410 miles of transmission line and is the largest cooperative-owned transmission system in the United States.

Source: USDA