About 10,000 rural residents and facility owners will benefit from federal funding aimed at improving electric service, according to an announcement made by Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s behalf.
The announcement was made during the 2013 regional meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The loan guarantees are made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) rural utilities program and include more than $11 million in smart grid project funding.
"These investments will continue to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable service for rural residents, farmers, and commercial and industrial consumers," Padalino said. "This funding includes investments in smart grid technologies that modernize our nation's electric system and improve its operation."
The electric utility companies that will receive USDA funding span Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Texas, Ohio, and Virginia.
The full release can be read on the USDA website.
