PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 29, 2025 – USDA Rural Development Oregon State Director Jim Carmack today announced the agency is investing $6,487,000 in a loan and grant to Rogue Valley Sewer Services to support sewer infrastructure improvements serving the city of Gold Hill in Jackson County. 

Brief Project Description: Construction of a solar panel array/battery energy storage system and associated infrastructure on approximately 13 acres of previously disturbed agricultural land in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

Staff Assignment Name: Maria Tur
Project Submittal Date: 8/21/2025
Project Approval Date: 9/29/2025
DOE CE Applied: B5.16

Brief Project Description: Construct a 1.8 -megawatt solar photovoltaic facility located on a parcel in previously disturbed for agriculture activities.

Staff Assignment Name: Damon Armstrong
Project Submittal Date: July 30, 2025
Department of Energy Categorical Exclusion Applied: B5.16

Construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a 40-megawatt-hour (MW[1]hour) battery energy storage system (BESS), called the Valencia Energy Facility (project), located within approximately 6 acre leased area of Arizona State Trust land in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona.

Construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a 12-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), called the Sasabe-Arivaca Rural Microgrid Project (project), located within approximately 3 acres of State Trust land in Pima County, Arizona.

Construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a 44-megawatt hour battery energy storage system (BESS) called the Marana Energy Facility project (project) located on 3 acres of State Trust land and private land approximately 5 miles northwest of the town of Marana in unincorporated Pinal and Pima Counties, Arizona.

Construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a 40-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS), called the Avion II Energy Facility project (project), on approximately 24 acres of City of Tucson owned land and 6 acres of State Trust land approximately 1 mile southeast of Avra Valley in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona.

PRINCEVILLE, NC, Sept. 25, 2025 — Members of the USDA Rural Development Team and U.S. Congressman for North Carolina's 1st District Don Davis participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony with Edgecombe County’s Public Works today.

Rural Development invested $9.3 million in USDA Water and Environmental loans and grants update and replace many aspects of Princeville’s water and sewer system for 1,050 residential and 30 commercial water and sewer customers.

Brief Project Description: Construction of a 4.5 MW solar farm including access roads, fencing, and associated utilities on 17 acres of previously disturbed agricultural land in VanBuren County, Michigan.

Staff Assignment Name: Maria Tur 
Project Submittal Date: 6/10/2025 
Project Approval Date: 9/24/2025 
DOE CE Applied: B5.16

BOZEMAN, Mont., September 24, 2025 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Bill Warden is appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the USDA Rural Development State Director for the state of Montana.