These investments in 16 cooperatives, benefitting roughly 20% of rural residents across 23 states, promise to revolutionize rural America's energy landscape with 10,000 MW of clean power, including investments in wind, solar, and battery storage..
These investments in 16 cooperatives, benefitting roughly 20% of rural residents across 23 states, promise to revolutionize rural America's energy landscape with 10,000 MW of clean power, including investments in wind, solar, and battery storage..
The program aims to deliver measurable benefits to rural communities left behind in the energy transition by supporting new clean energy systems. Federal investments will help educate rural community members on clean energy, reduce energy poverty, and displace pollution from the fossil fuel. .
Leveraging local strengths such as open land, agricultural innovation, and community-driven initiatives, these regions are embracing solar power, energy storage, and sustainable lithium extraction. From Thompson’s solar farms and dairy digesters to Moloka‘i’s microgrids and Imperial Valley’s. .
The IRA-backed New ERA program advances a more reliable, affordable, and clean electricity system for rural America. The Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, which was established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is the federal government’s largest investment in rural electric systems. .
Today, we’re excited to share that the first round of New ERA projects with a total investment of $29 billion has been announced with $7.3 billion in federal support for Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs). These investments in 16 cooperatives, benefitting roughly 20% of rural residents across 23. .
Two years ago, the Rural Power Coalition (RPC) celebrated a landmark victory when the Inflation Reduction Act officially funded the $9.7 billion Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, the most significant investment in rural energy infrastructure since the New Deal. Since then, RPC has been. .
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced more than $6 billion in clean energy investments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. Rural electric cooperatives and.
