Electric Coops Leading the Way in Modernization of the Nation’s Electric Grid
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Administration officials on Monday to announce several initiatives aimed at modernizing the nation’s electric grid. The USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is providing funding for several projects, and rural electric cooperatives are heavily involved in smart grid deployments. Last year, RUS approved $7.1 billion in loans for a wide range of rural electric grid modernization, including $152 million in loans for smart meters. A full list of rural utilities that were selected to receive USDA funding is included in the USDA’s press release.