NRECA: Co-ops Overwhelm USDA With Project Proposals for $9.7B New ERA Program

NRECA: Co-ops Overwhelm USDA With Project Proposals for $9.7B New ERA Program Main Photo

28 Sep 2023


News

Electric cooperatives flooded the U.S. Department of Agriculture with interest in a new $9.7 billion clean energy program, submitting proposals for hundreds of projects that would require at least twice that amount and launch $93 billion in new investment across rural America.

USDA announced on Sept. 27 that it had received 157 letters of interest from electric co-ops for 750 projects seeking grants and loans from the Empowering Rural America program, also known as New ERA.

“The demand for the New ERA program illustrates the innovative spirit of electric cooperatives as they explore new ways to meet tomorrow’s energy needs and prepare for a future that depends on electricity to power more of the economy,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson.

Click here to view the original article from NRECA.