The United States Department of Agriculture announced today that it is investing $900 million to build, preserve or improve rural electric infrastructure across 16 states including Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Rural electric cooperatives have been the champions of rural electric infrastructure, the lifeblood of America’s heartland, in every state across the country since the Rural Electrification Administration’s efforts in the 1930s, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky says.
This funding is provided through the Electric Loan Program which will help build and improve 2,743 miles of line to strengthen reliability in rural areas and will benefit 1.1 million residents and businesses, this funding will also include investments in smart grid technology.
The following cooperatives in the upper midwest will be receiving funds from the USDA’s Electric Loan Program:
- East River Electric Power Cooperative (MN& SD): This Rural Development investment will be used to build substations, update others, improve headquarters facilities, and build and improve 604 miles of transmission line. The project also includes smart grid technologies, including 65 miles of fiber cable between substations to enhance communications capability. East River is a generation and transmission electric cooperative headquartered in Madison, S.D. It provides power to 25 rural electric utilities that serve 41 counties in eastern South Dakota and 22 counties in western Minnesota.
- Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative (ND): This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 68 consumers, and build and improve 84 miles of line. The project includes $59,285 in smart grid technologies. Burke-Divide, headquartered in Columbus, N.D., serves approximately 3,500 customers over 2,642 miles of line in six counties in northwest North Dakota.
- Nodak Electric Cooperative (ND): This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 1,431 consumers, and build and improve 247 miles of line. This project includes $1.2 million in smart grid technologies. Nodak is headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D. It serves more than 19,500
customers over 8,200 miles of line in 13 counties in northeast North Dakota. - CAM-WAL Electric Cooperative Inc. (SD): This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 150 consumers, and build and improve 335 miles of line. The loan includes $181,800 in smart grid technologies. Cam-Wal, headquartered in Selby, S.D., serves 2,463 customers over 1,438 miles of line in six counties.
- Douglas Electric Cooperative (SD): This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 36 consumers, and build and improve 38 miles of line. Douglas is headquartered in Armour, S.D., It serves 800 customers over 504 miles of line in Aurora, Charles Mix, Douglas and Hutchinson counties in southeastern South Dakota.
