Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
The Biden-Harris Administration announced a $140 million investment for clean energy projects in rural Nevada and Kentucky. This initiative aims to reduce power bills, enhance access to clean energy, and create jobs for rural families, small businesses, and agricultural producers.
These projects are part of the USDA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The act represents the largest investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small revealed the funding during a visit to a planned solar power facility site in Pahrump, Nevada. The facility will provide an uninterrupted electricity supply to an area prone to wildfires and outages.
“Rural people deserve continued energy opportunities as demand for clean energy increases,” Deputy Secretary Torres Small stated. “The Biden-Harris Administration is working to make sure efforts to tackle climate change also help grow the local economy. These USDA investments will lower costs for Americans and create good-paying jobs in rural communities for years to come.”
Valley Electric Association will use $80.3 million to install a 37-megawatt solar power generation and storage system serving Pahrump and Fish Lake Valley. This project aims to strengthen the energy grid, reduce rates for association members, and maintain critical services in the region. It is expected to produce enough electricity for 3,500 homes.
In Kentucky, four new PACE investments were announced:
- Bluestem Energy Solutions TEC1 LLC will use approximately $6.6 million to build a solar power facility in Allen County that will generate 5 megawatts of renewable energy, powering over 900 homes annually.
- Lock 9 Hydro Partners LLC plans to invest around $19.3 million in a run-of-river hydroelectric plant on the Kentucky River generating 3 megawatts of renewable energy for Jessamine County, expected to power 1,600 homes each year.
- Lock 10 Hydro Partners LLC intends to use roughly $18.9 million for another run-of-river hydroelectric plant on the Kentucky River generating 3 megawatts of renewable energy for Madison County, also projected to power 1,600 homes annually.
- Lock 13 Hydro Partners LLC plans an investment of about $17.7 million in a similar hydroelectric plant on the Kentucky River generating 3 megawatts of renewable energy for Lee County, anticipated to power 1,600 homes each year.
PACE was launched with $1 billion available through low-interest loans with up to 60% loan forgiveness for renewable energy developers and providers using wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass sources.
PACE is part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative aimed at ensuring that disadvantaged communities receive at least 40% of overall benefits from federal climate investments.
Since its inception in May 2023, USDA has announced over $665 million in selected PACE investments with more awards expected soon.
The Rural Partners Network (RPN), launched in April 2022 and expanded later that year, now operates across ten states and Puerto Rico with support from full-time USDA staff providing technical assistance tailored to community needs.
For further information on RPN or USDA Rural Development initiatives aimed at improving economic opportunities and quality of life in rural areas through infrastructure improvements and other support measures visit www.usda.gov or Rural.gov.
###
