The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $2.8 million to build or improve rural electric infrastructure in Arizona.
“Reliable and modern 21st century infrastructure, including electric infrastructure and smart grid technologies, is a cornerstone for prosperity in rural America,” Secretary Perdue said. “Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building their futures.”
Background:
USDA is providing loans and loan guarantees to rural electric cooperatives and utilities through the Electric Loan Program. The recipients will use the funds to build and improve 9,138 miles of electric transmission and distribution line, benefiting 1 million rural residents and businesses. The loans include nearly $386 million for investments in smart grid technology, which uses digital communications to detect and react to local changes in electricity usage.
The investments announced today are being made in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
In Arizona, Mohave Electric Cooperative will use a $2.8 million loan to provide utility power to replace the use of the diesel generators at the mine and to provide fiber-optic communications. Replacement of the power from the diesel generators with grid power will provide the mine with more reliable and lower cost power, make the operation of the mine more energy efficient and drastically reduce the emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. The project includes a fiber optic line that is needed to stabilize the company's need for reliable and fast communication abilities. The fiber optic communication service will increase the level of site security and monitoring and increase the efficiency of overall plant process monitoring and environmental control systems.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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