Electric co-op will expand connections with $9.5M loan
Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative Inc., a nonprofit consumer-owned electric utility serving parts of Aroostook, Penobscot and Washington counties, has been awarded a $9.5 million federal loan to improve power connections for hundreds of customers in that area.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Friday announced the financing, part of $3.1 billion the USDA is providing to build or improve rural electric infrastructure in 25 states.
The cooperative, which is headquartered in Calais and has nearly 13,000 members, will use the funding to connect 412 consumers and to build and improve 61 miles of power lines, according to a news release. The loan also includes over $1 million for implementation of smart grid technologies.
Those technologies can be a catalyst for broadband and other telecommunications services in unserved and underserved rural areas, the USDA said.
“Working and accessible rural electric infrastructure is a cornerstone to prosperity in America’s heartland,” Perdue said in the release. “This critical funding reflects President Trump’s commitment to increasing prosperity across all of rural America and ensures this major infrastructure network remains reliable for the millions of Americans who depend on it every day.”
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments