President Biden and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Westby, Wisconsin today to announce an award from the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. At the event, the president is expected to highlight a New ERA investment funded by the Inflation Reduction Act that Dairyland Power Cooperative will use to grow solar energy efforts to supply power to utilities in a four-state area. New ERA is designed to help member-owned rural energy cooperatives transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy—creating good jobs for local workers and ensuring workers and communities aren’t left behind in the transition to cleaner, cheaper energy.
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also highlighted selectees across the country that have made it past the competitive stage of the New ERA program and are now in the underwriting process to receive an award.
“Our country’s investments in rural electric system infrastructure, renewable energy, and modern technologies are critical investments in future generations of rural North Dakotans,” said Erin Oban, State Director of USDA Rural Development in North Dakota. “Of the 16 selections announced today, three of them – Basin Electric Cooperative, Great River Energy, and Minnkota Power Cooperative – are either based or have a significant presence in serving rural North Dakota. These co-ops continue to show their commitment to ensuring that our most rural hometowns and neighbors have access to reliable, affordable electricity.”
With this funding, Basin Electric Power Cooperative will procure both additional renewable energy generation and enhance existing cooperative-owned renewable assets, which are expected to total over 1,400 megawatts across Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. These projects will create short and long-term jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and provide estimated cost benefits of over $400 million to Basin Electric Power Cooperative members over the life of the New ERA program. This selectee will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by an estimated 2.2 million tons annually, the equivalent of removing 522,000 gasoline-powered cars annually.
A new Community Benefits Program will focus on workforce development, agricultural sustainability, and community safety.
“Renewable generation is a key portion of our balanced approach to resource development, and we look forward to adding additional renewable generation to our portfolio in partnership with RUS and our communities through the New ERA program,” said Basin Electric Power Cooperative CEO and General Manager Todd Brickhouse.
This New ERA investment will be used by Great River Energy and its member-owners to procure 1,275 megawatts of renewable energy across rural portions of Minnesota and North Dakota. These projects include large-scale wind energy projects, distributed renewable energy projects, and innovative demand side management investments that complement their existing portfolio. These investments are estimated to create over 1,600 short and long-term jobs, reduce costs against business as usual for members by $30 million on average annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 5.49 million tons each year. This proposal will reduce greenhouse gas pollution at levels equivalent to avoiding the pollution from 1.3 million gasoline each year.
“Our consortium laid out an innovative portfolio of projects and power purchase agreements that will benefit cooperative members across Minnesota,” said Great River Energy President and Chief Executive Officer David Saggau. “The projects in our New ERA proposal will allow us to procure more than 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy while creating over 1,500 new jobs, saving our members $30 million on average annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 5 million tons and creating a host of benefits across the communities we serve.”
This New ERA investment will support Minnkota Power Cooperative’s pursuit of a carbon capture and storage project (Project Tundra) as well as the procurement of 370 megawatts of wind energy in North Dakota. These projects will create hundreds of short- and long-term jobs, while providing environmental benefits to rural member-consumers in Minnesota and North Dakota. This proposal will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 4.3 million tons, the equivalent pollution of 1 million cars each year.
“As we enter one of the most transformational periods in our industry’s history, the New ERA program represents a positive opportunity for our membership and many others across rural America,” said Minnkota President and CEO Mac McLennan. “We are grateful to continue forward as we pursue development of Project Tundra – a bold carbon capture initiative in North Dakota – as well as the advancement of 370 megawatts of new wind energy resources in the state. New ERA helps not-for-profit cooperatives like Minnkota more cost-effectively decarbonize power supply portfolios, while retaining a reliable and resilient electric grid for the members we serve.”
USDA
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