Biden-Harris Administration Invests $38.4 Million in South Carolina to Expand Affordable, Reliable, Clean Power in Rural Communities Through Investing in America Agenda
South Carolina Electric Infrastructure Award Will Reduce Electricity Costs for Over 194,000 Rural Consumers in Upstate South Carolina
Columbia, S.C., March 8, 2024 – As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, George W. Hicks, Jr., Acting State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, announced today that $38.4 million in funding was awarded in the state of South Carolina to help ensure residents in our rural communities have access to reliable electricity.
“New Horizon Electric Cooperative in Laurens was the recipient of $38.4 million in funding through the USDA, Rural Development’s Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee program.”, said Acting State Director George W. Hicks, Jr. “This funding will help the New Horizon Electric Cooperative build and improve electric infrastructure for over 194,000 consumers living in our rural upstate area. These improvements will advance smart-grid technologies and help expand renewable energy systems. Ultimately, this project will provide economic savings for businesses and people living in rural communities.”
This project will reduce electricity costs for hardworking families and small business owners and prevent power outages in the face of extreme weather exacerbated by the climate crisis. The investments will also strengthen the energy independence and help to create good-paying jobs in the upstate area.
These announcements advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent 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.
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Background
President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act marks the largest single investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
The Biden-Harris Administration championed the Inflation Reduction Act to help provide new funding and unprecedented incentives to expand clean energy, transform rural power production, create jobs, and spur economic growth. It also provided historic funding for USDA Rural Development to help eligible organizations invest in renewable energy infrastructure and zero-emission systems and make energy-efficiency improvements that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
USDA makes funding available for the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program through regular appropriations from Congress. It provides funding to utility providers and electric cooperatives to build and improve electric infrastructure, smart-grid technologies, and renewable energy systems. Through this program, USDA Rural Development ensures everyone in rural areas has access to electricity to increase economic opportunity and quality of life.
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. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal, and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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