Today, September 30, 2009, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $2.4 billion in electric loans will be invested in improving rural infrastructure with the potential beneficiaries being 113,000 rural customers in 33 states.
The loans will go to 58 rural utilities and cooperatives. The money will be delivered as loans or loan guarantees “to build and repair over 12,000 miles of distribution and transmission lines and make system improvements that will benefit almost 113,000 rural customers,” according to the USDA news release.
The announcement was made during Vilsack’s Rural Tour in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Vilsack stated, "These loans and guarantees will help rural utilities improve services, support renewable energy efforts, and create jobs across the country.” Among the projects included are renewable energy projects, such as the one in Fitzgerald, Georgia that will build a facility that produces energy from biomass. This will allow the project to use wood-fuel waste to produce renewable electric power. Other wood-fuel biomass projects received funding as well.
“These loans and loan guarantees are part of USDA Rural Development's annual budget and are not funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
To read the news release or see a full list of recipients click here.
The loans will go to 58 rural utilities and cooperatives. The money will be delivered as loans or loan guarantees “to build and repair over 12,000 miles of distribution and transmission lines and make system improvements that will benefit almost 113,000 rural customers,” according to the USDA news release.
The announcement was made during Vilsack’s Rural Tour in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Vilsack stated, "These loans and guarantees will help rural utilities improve services, support renewable energy efforts, and create jobs across the country.” Among the projects included are renewable energy projects, such as the one in Fitzgerald, Georgia that will build a facility that produces energy from biomass. This will allow the project to use wood-fuel waste to produce renewable electric power. Other wood-fuel biomass projects received funding as well.
“These loans and loan guarantees are part of USDA Rural Development's annual budget and are not funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
To read the news release or see a full list of recipients click here.
Posted: 09/30/09
