Sun Sep 15 14:50:52 UTC 2024: ## Rural America Gets $29 Billion Boost for Clean Energy: 5 Million Homes to Benefit

**Washington D.C. -** A historic wave of clean energy investment is set to sweep across rural America, with the USDA’s “Empowering Rural America” (New ERA) program selecting 16 rural electric cooperatives (co-ops) to receive a total of $29 billion in funding. These funds will be leveraged to deploy carbon-free energy sources, primarily solar and wind power, powering an estimated 5 million homes across 23 states.

The project represents a major shift towards clean energy in rural communities, with co-ops expecting significant cost reductions and increased reliability. For example, Dairyland Power Cooperative anticipates a 42% rate decrease over ten years compared to business-as-usual, while Great River Energy expects annual cost reductions of $30 million.

“The diversity of investments and approaches taken by co-ops is a testament to the power of the co-op model in fostering innovation tailored to local community needs,” said RMI electricity expert Uday Varadarajan.

Beyond solar and wind, the program also includes investments in utility-scale battery storage systems, demand-side resources, and transmission improvements, laying the groundwork for future clean energy expansion.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has been instrumental in making this investment possible, offering co-ops direct payments for clean energy tax credits, eliminating the barriers they previously faced. These federal incentives are expected to contribute a substantial portion of the project’s funding.

RMI, a non-profit think-and-do tank, provided support to co-ops throughout the application process, including webinars, bootcamps, and financial modeling tools. They also helped co-ops develop Community Benefit Plans (CBPs) to ensure long-term community benefits from the projects.

This initiative is a testament to the growing momentum towards a clean energy future, with rural America leading the charge. With these historic investments, rural communities will see cleaner air, lower energy costs, and increased economic opportunity.

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