Biden-Harris Administration Invests $2.3 Billion in Projects to Expand Affordable, Reliable, Clean Power in Rural Communities Through Investing in America Agenda

SAN ANTONIO, March 6, 2024 – As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s PowerXchange annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas that USDA is moving forward on clean energy investments in 23 states to reduce pollution and strengthen rural America’s power grid. Today’s announcement includes the first five awards totaling $139 million under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. Secretary Vilsack also announced $2.2 billion in funding awarded to 39 projects to help ensure over 2 million people in rural areas have access to reliable electricity.

“Rural electric cooperatives are the backbone of America’s power delivery, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to helping them create a path toward a cleaner, more sustainable future that lowers energy costs and creates jobs and lasting economic prosperity for people everywhere,” Secretary Vilsack said. “Today’s announcement reinforces this commitment and delivers on President Biden’s promise to strengthen America’s energy security by investing to deploy renewable energy technology and upgrade thousands of miles of transmission line across the nation."

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