USDA Announces $11 Billion in Grants for Green Rural Programs
USDA Announces $11 Billion in Grants for Green Rural Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities that will help rural energy and utility providers bring affordable, reliable clean energy and decarbonization technologies to communities across the country.
Funding is available through two programs under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which makes the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be opening a Letter of Interest process for the Empowering Rural America (“New ERA”) program, which makes $9.7 billion available to eligible rural electric cooperatives to deploy renewable energy, zero-emission, and carbon capture systems. In addition to New ERA, USDA will also be opening a Letter of Interest process for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, which makes $1 billion available in partially forgivable loans to renewable-energy developers and electric service providers, including municipals, cooperatives, and investor-owned and Tribal utilities to help finance large-scale solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower projects and energy storage in support of renewable energy systems.
The Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program is designed to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. By reducing air and water pollution, New ERA funding improves health outcomes and lowers energy costs for people in rural communities. The New ERA program has $9.7 billion in funding available to member-owned rural electric cooperatives.
For more information on both programs, visit here.
Funding is available through two programs under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which makes the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be opening a Letter of Interest process for the Empowering Rural America (“New ERA”) program, which makes $9.7 billion available to eligible rural electric cooperatives to deploy renewable energy, zero-emission, and carbon capture systems. In addition to New ERA, USDA will also be opening a Letter of Interest process for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, which makes $1 billion available in partially forgivable loans to renewable-energy developers and electric service providers, including municipals, cooperatives, and investor-owned and Tribal utilities to help finance large-scale solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower projects and energy storage in support of renewable energy systems.
The Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program is designed to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. By reducing air and water pollution, New ERA funding improves health outcomes and lowers energy costs for people in rural communities. The New ERA program has $9.7 billion in funding available to member-owned rural electric cooperatives.
For more information on both programs, visit here.
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