2 Middle Georgia electric co-ops get $157 million in loans from USDA. Here’s why.
Two Middle Georgia electric cooperatives got a sizable share of $6.3 billion in loans granted by the federal government for expanding access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the loans earlier this week, meant to invest in rural communities across 44 states. The two Middle Georgia cooperatives received over $157 million combined.
The Central Georgia EMC, headquartered in Jackson, was awarded about $110.4 million. This investment will be used to improve 295 miles of line and will connect nearly 6,000 consumers, according to the report. This loan includes about $2.3 million in smart grid technologies.
The Central Georgia EMC serves an average of around 65,000 members over 5,462 miles of line in 15 counties, according to a report on the grants.
Southern Rivers Energy, headquartered in Barnesville, was awarded about $46.97 million. This money will be used to improve 362 miles of line and connect nearly 3,500 consumers, according to the report. This loan includes about $11.4 million in smart grid technologies.
Southern Rivers Energy serves 21,240 consumers over 3,114 miles of line in nine counties in central Georgia, according to the report.
President Joe Biden’s administration “invests in rural America, because we know strong communities are rooted in their people,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a related news release. “These investments will build modern infrastructure that will attract employers to the nation’s smallest towns and most remote communities, creating jobs, vibrant Main Streets, and lasting economic growth for the people who live there.”
There are over 200 projects being financed by this loan to “to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure in rural places, growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up,” the news release said.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
