The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $633 million in climate-smart and resilient infrastructure for people in rural communities in order to address climate change.
The funding will go towards upgrading rural electric infrastructure and providing citizens with more cost-effective means of power, a Dec. 3 USDA press release said. Projects will aid all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.
“Rural America is on the front lines of climate change, and our communities deserve investments that will strengthen all of our resilience,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release.
The announcement was made at Saubel’s Markets in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, which will itself receive $103,413 from the USDA. The funds will be used to install solar panels on the roof of the grocery store.
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Build Back Better program, the Biden Administration has aimed to provide economic support to rural areas by creating jobs and fighting climate change, the release said. Vilsack pointed out 791 investments the USDA is making in five programs to help people and industry in rural areas.
“President Biden has created a roadmap for how we can tackle the climate crisis and expand access to renewable energy infrastructure, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs,” Vilsack said in the release. “With the Build Back Better agenda, USDA will be able to fund more and more critical projects like those announced today in the coming months and years.”
