U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Dec 10) announced that USDA is investing $6.3 billion in rural and Tribal communities across 44 states to expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs.

"The Biden-Harris Administration invests in rural America, because we know strong communities are rooted in their people," Secretary Vilsack said. "These investments will build modern infrastructure that will attract employers to the nation's smallest towns and most remote communities, creating jobs, vibrant Main Streets, and lasting economic growth for the people who live there."

More than 200 projects are being financed to strengthen the nation's infrastructure in rural places, growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up.

Delivering Clean, Reliable Energy

USDA is providing $5.7 billion in funding through the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program to help utility providers and electric cooperatives build and improve electric infrastructure and smart-grid technologies in 23 states.

These projects will help ensure everyone in rural America has access to reliable electricity to increase economic opportunity and improve quality of life. For example:

• Rappahannock Electric Cooperative in Virginia received $293 million to build and improve 880 miles of line, connecting more than 11,000 consumers. Nearly $160 million of this funding will be used for smart grid technologies.
• Carroll Electric Cooperative Corporation in Arkansas received $432 million to build and improve nearly 900 miles of line, connecting more than 10,000 consumers. Nearly $11 million in funding will be used for smart grid technologies.

Funding will benefit Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Strengthening Rural Water Infrastructure

USDA is also investing nearly $642 million today to expand access to clean and reliable drinking water, sanitary waste disposal and storm water drainage for people in 41 states.

The Department is making the investments through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program and the Solid Waste Management Grants program.

The agency is helping state and local governments, private nonprofits and federally recognized Tribes build or improve rural wastewater systems. For example:

• Rock Rapids Municipal Utilities in Iowa received $25 million to improve its wastewater treatment facility. It will alleviate an imminent sanitary hazard to meet water treatment quality standards and improve the health and safety for 2,550 residents in Lyon County.
• Rural Action Inc. received $122,000 to fund an initiative to encourage best practices for waste management by improving recycling and composting techniques in 14 Appalachian counties. It's expected to improve environmental quality and living conditions for more than 150,000 residents in 12 counties in Ohio and two counties in West Virginia.

Funding under both programs will help people living in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and healthcare; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.