Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Affordable Clean Energy Coming to Rural Americans as Part of ‘Investing in America Agenda’
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA is moving forward in the awards process with a new clean energy project through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. Secretary Vilsack announced that SE Municipal Solar LLC in Nebraska has been selected to move forward to receive nearly $30 million to build eight solar photovoltaic generation facilities totaling 18.72 megawatts. The facilities will produce enough electricity to power more than 1,700 residential homes throughout the State and will be located in Alliance, Gering, Sidney, Imperial, Ansley, Pender, Crete, and Stuart, Nebraska.
The funding for USDA’s PACE program is from the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936. The Inflation Reduction Act partners with rural communities to deliver clean, affordable energy.
“Rural communities are the backbone of America, and we are proud to partner with them to create a more affordable and sustainable future that will benefit rural families, businesses and the health of our planet for generations to come,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The project we’re announcing today will create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for consumers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the resiliency of our nation’s electric grid.”
This announcement comes just months after USDA previously announced projects across the state, in which the Department invested more than $20 million in Rural Energy for America Program awards to rural small businesses and agricultural producers.
Selected Bluestem Energy Solutions LLC to receive an approximately $3.6 million PACE award to build a 2-megawatt community solar facility with the City of Madison electric utility.
Selected Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation to receive a nearly $17 million PACE award to finance solar renewable energy resource facilities and energy storage systems for communities in Wallace, Grant, Paxton and Lakeview.
Selected the village of Emerson to receive a $1 million PACE award to finance a solar facility which makes efficiency improvements to its energy distribution system serving the Emerson community.
By using renewable energy from natural sources, these investments will make it more affordable for people to heat their homes, run their businesses and power cars, schools, hospitals and more.
In May 2023, USDA made $1 billion available through PACE to fund new clean energy projects and energy storage in rural America. This program provides low interest loans with up to 60% loan forgiveness to renewable energy developers, rural electric cooperatives and other rural energy providers for renewable energy storage and projects that use wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass.
To date, USDA has selected 13 projects in 6 states totaling $495 million to move forward in the PACE application process.
USDA expects to continue making PACE awards in the coming months.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas.
To learn more, visit http://www.usda.gov.
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