Wednesday, Jun 15 2011 2:44PM
The USDA has provided billions of dollars to upgrade electric grids nationwide.
Among the 10 states that will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to upgrade electric grids in rural areas is Washington state.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will aid states in need of electric grid upgrades and maintenance. Washington will receive $10 million in grant money from the program, which provides money for rural communities to make access to sustainable and clean energy more widespread.
Funding for Washington was given to the Benton Rural Electric Association, and will be used to install 32 miles of new distribution lines and perform maintenance and upgrades to the current grid.
"This is one more step in our effort to modernize rural America's electric grid. Smart grid technologies give consumers greater control over their electric costs and help utilities efficiently manage power generation and delivery," said Vilsack. "Through the use of modern technology we can improve the efficiency of distribution, increase reliability, and win the future through innovation."
The RUS program distributed $7.1 billion in loans for rural grid modernization last year.