Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Hilda Legg today announced a $130.5 million investment to improve electric infrastructure in rural Kentucky.
The Department of Agriculture is making these loans through the Electric Loan Program to build and improve over 260 miles of line.
“It’s great to see our electric coops leveraging last-mile broadband to increase energy efficiency and reliability through smart grid technology,” said Legg. “Thanks to strong partnerships with electric cooperatives like Owen Electric Cooperative and Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, investments like this will help rural Kentucky keep the lights on for years to come.”
Owen Electric Cooperative will use a $37.5 million loan investment to connect 2,260 consumers and build and improve 103 miles of line. This loan includes over $4.5 million in smart grid technologies.
Cumberland EMC will use a $93 million loan investment to connect 9,676 consumers and build 160 miles of line. This loan includes over $58.8 million in smart grid technologies.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
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.