Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development Roger Glendenning Thursday announced that USDA is providing more than a quarter billion dollars in loans for rural electric infrastructure improvements.
“These loans will help improve the delivery of reliable electricity, and will help ensure that rural areas nationwide can prosper economically and benefit from today’s technologies to meet tomorrow’s needs,” Glendenning said.
The loans are being provided through the Electric Program of the Rural Utilities Service. They will support the construction or improvement of 1,369 miles of transmission and distribution line. They include $22.4 million for smart grid technologies to increase system efficiency and reliability. Smart Grid increases the reliability of electric power by helping utilities better manage power needs and supply, and improve operational efficiencies. It includes metering, substation automation, computer applications, two-way communications, geospatial information systems and other improvements.