USDA announces $7.3 Billion in Funding for Rural Electric Cooperatives

On September 5, 2024, USDA announced that it awarded a total of $7.3 billion for rural electric cooperatives to develop clean energy infrastructure in rural communities. Sixteen recipients across twenty-three states were chosen in the first round of awards. The funding is made available through the Empowering Rural American (New ERA) program, which is funded by IRA section 22004 to reduce emissions from rural electric cooperatives. These New ERA projects are expected to “create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for rural communities, significantly reduce pollution, enhance the resiliency of the nation’s electric grid, and advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.”