As part of its mission to reduce carbon emissions throughout the United States, the federal government has stepped up its efforts to bolster clean energy systems in rural areas. An example of this work was announced in March when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $38.4 million in funding to South Carolina to help ensure residents in rural communities have access to reliable electricity while also expanding renewable energy systems.
According to a March 8 news release from the USDA, the project is designed to reduce electricity costs for rural families and small business owners and prevent power outages amid a rise in extreme weather events. The investments should also strengthen energy independence in South Carolina’s upstate area and help create good-paying jobs.
The $38.4 million Electric Infrastructure Award is part of the White House’s “Investing in America campaign” and will go to New Horizon Electric Cooperative, a Laurens, South Carolina-based electric utility.
Funds will be used to assist with new construction and capital improvement transmission projects. New Horizon serves more than 194,000 consumers in 12 counties in upstate South Carolina.
Photo Courtesy New Horizon Electric
“These improvements will advance smart-grid technologies and help expand renewable energy systems,” George Hicks, USDA acting state director, said in a statement. “Ultimately, this project will provide economic savings for businesses and people living in rural communities.”
The project advances the current administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which, according to the USDA, aims to ensure that 40% of “the overall benefits of federal climate, clean energy, and other covered investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.”
Photo Courtesy New Horizon Electric
The March release was followed a couple of months later by a separate USDA announcement to provide funds for three more projects located in South Carolina and parts of two other states.
Here’s a breakdown of those projects, according to a May 14 USDA press release:
- Funding will be provided to the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative to connect 8,480 consumers and build and improve 586 miles of power line. The co-op offers electric services to an average of 70,160 members through 7,279 miles of line in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg counties in northwest South Carolina. The USDA funds include $51.87 million for smart grid technologies.
- Aiken Electric Cooperative will use funding to connect 3,588 consumers, build and improve 192 miles of power line, and construct headquarters facilities. Aiken Electric serves an average of 50,951 members through 5,679 miles of distribution line in parts of Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Greenwood, Lexington, McCormick, Orangeburg, Saluda, and Aiken counties in South Carolina. The funding includes $14.5 million for smart grid technologies.
- Haywood EMC will use the funding to connect 919 consumers and build 70 miles of power line. Haywood Electric, headquartered in Waynesville, North Carolina, provides electric service to an average of 28,299 members through 3,013 miles of distribution line. This line will run through portions of Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Madison, and Transylvania counties in North Carolina; Oconee County in South Carolina; and Rabun County in Georgia.
These projects continue the USDA’s support for clean energy initiatives in rural areas across the U.S. As previously reported by The Business Download, a September 2023 USDA press release outlined “record demand for funding to advance affordable and reliable clean energy in rural America through programs made possible by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).”
Photo Courtesy USDA
The IRA earmarked nearly $13 billion to support clean energy infrastructure for rural America through USDA Rural Development programs. Financing will help eligible participants build renewable power and zero-emission systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. According to the USDA, once the upgrades are in place, they should “significantly increase affordability and reliability” of clean energy while also cutting emissions.
