PCCA Journal|1
st
Quarter 2011
10
RDUP News
Continued from page 8
make other system improvements.
Texas
Victoria Electric Cooperative, Inc.;
$6,949,000
Build 23 miles of new distribution line,
make improvements to 52 miles of distribu-
tion line, and make other system improve-
ments.
Virginia, West Virginia
Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative;
$180,000,000
Build 2,811 miles of new distribution line,
make improvements to 11 miles of distribu-
tion line, and make other system improve-
ments.
Virginia, Kentucky
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative;
$84,000,000
Finance ownership interest in two renew-
able run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects
for a total of 14.6 MW.
Virginia
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative;
$198,675,000
Build 3,288 miles of new distribution line,
make improvements to 44 miles of distribu-
tion line, and make other system improve-
ments.
Washington
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative;
$8,822,000
Make improvements to 21 miles of distribu-
tion lines, and make other system improve-
ments.
Wisconsin
Clark Electric Cooperative; $4,000,000
Build 39 miles of new distribution line,
make improvements to 50 miles of distribu-
tion line, and make other system improve-
ments.
Wisconsin, Illinois
Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative;
$20,000,000
Build 46 miles of new distribution line,
make improvements to 236 miles of
distribution line, and make other system
improvements.
Wyoming
High Plains Power, Inc.; $22,394,000
Build 37 miles of new distribution line
and 16 miles of transmission line, make
improvements to 92 miles of distribution
line, and make other system improvements.
USDA Releases Report on the
Impact of Stimulus Funds in Rural America
U
SDA Under Secretary for Rural Development
Dallas Tonsager issued a report in October on
how loan and grant funds through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recov-
ery Act) have helped the nation’s rural residents and, not sur-
prisingly, provided a glowing review of the administration’s
efforts. The report estimates that millions of business owners,
agricultural producers, and internet users and thousands of
homeowners will benefit, and more than 300,000 jobs are
being created or saved. The job estimates contained in the
report are derived from recipient reported data or program-
based economic models.
“With Rural Development’s loans, grants, and loan-grant
combination financing for new and existing programs, we
have leveraged our Recovery Act funds to ensure the greatest
bang for the taxpayer’s buck, allowing our agency to make
unprecedented and lasting investments in rural America,”
Tonsager said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished
over the last two years towards building livable, innovative,
and sustainable rural communities.”
Of the $40.7 billion in Recovery Act funding obligated by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development ob-
ligated more than half for projects ($21.2 billion in program-
level funding) through seven programs. In all, 95,000 loans
and 2,500 grants were provided to recipients in all 50 states,
American territories, the District of Columbia, and the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico. This record level of federal invest-
ment leveraged additional private investment in communities
across the country, demonstrating the positive impact that
public-private partnerships can have on rural communities
and economies.
Broadband was the first example in the USDA press release
of how Recovery Act funding is making a difference in rural
communities. The release said, “USDA’s Rural Utilities Ser-
vice (RUS), a Rural Development mission area, received $2.5
billion in funding to deploy high-speed broadband networks
to the hardest-to-reach rural areas of the country. Working
with partners at the Department of Commerce’s National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA),
RUS invested $3.5 billion in funding for 297 broadband
infrastructure projects, four satellite awards, and 19 technical
assistance grants to extend the benefits of broadband to rural
communities, Native American and Alaska Native lands in 45
States and 1 territory. An estimated 7 million people, many of
them located in extremely remote areas, will have access to
improved broadband services.
“In Reedsburg, Wis., (located in Sauk County), the Reeds-
burg Utilities Commission used $5,239,168 in Recovery Act
funds to bring broadband service to an area of southwestern
Wisconsin that is deficient in broadband services due to
hilly terrain. In addition to the USDA funds, more than $2.3
million in private investment was provided. It is estimated
that 310 businesses and more than 2,400 homes will be able
to access the utility’s services, and an estimated 42 new jobs
will be generated.”