In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement of $7.3 billion in investments for rural electric cooperatives to build clean energy through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, Evergreen Action Energy Transition Lead Mattea Mrkusic released the following statement:
“We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for its commitment to helping rural communities secure modern, clean, affordable energy to support a more prosperous, thriving future. For too long, our nation’s heartland has been left behind after decades of disinvestment and reliance on over-polluting fossil fuel infrastructure jacking up costs for farmers. Rural communities deserve a thriving clean energy economy that lowers costs, creates jobs, and enhances the resiliency of the nation’s electric grid. That’s exactly what the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program helps deliver.
“Collectively, the rural co-ops selected today will build and generate more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy for rural communities nationwide, reducing and avoiding at least 43.7 tons of climate pollution each year. Made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), today’s announcement, along with other investments in rural clean energy from the IRA, represents the largest investment in rural electrification since FDR and the New Deal. These investments are poised to carry us forward into a thriving clean energy future powered by rural America.”
The first finalized award in the New ERA program will go to Dairyland Power Cooperative, serving Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, with more than half a billion dollars in investments for cleaner, more affordable, and resilient electricity from renewable sources. Overall, the Biden-Harris administration announced more than $7.3 billion for the 16 selections across 23 states, representing one-fifth of the nation’s rural households.
Last year, Evergreen Action released, “How Rural Electric Co-ops Can Repower America with the Inflation Reduction Act,” a report detailing how rural coops can leverage the IRA’s clean energy tax credits, as well as the New ERA and PACE programs, to usher in next-generation rural electrification. You can read the full report here.
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