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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.”