U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is moving forward in the awards process with a new clean energy project through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. Secretary Vilsack announced that SE Municipal Solar LLC in Nebraska has been selected to move forward to receive nearly $30 million to build eight solar photovoltaic generation facilities totaling 18.72 megawatts. The facilities will produce enough electricity to power more than 1,700 residential homes throughout the State and will be located in Alliance, Gering, Sidney, Imperial, Ansley, Pender, Crete, and Stuart, Nebraska.
The funding for USDA’s PACE program is from the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936. The Inflation Reduction Act partners with rural communities to deliver clean, affordable energy.
“Rural communities are the backbone of America, and the Biden-Harris Administration is proud to partner with them to create a more affordable and sustainable future that will benefit rural families, businesses and the health of our planet for generations to come,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The project we’re announcing today will create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for consumers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the resiliency of our nation’s electric grid.”
Also, USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andrew Berke attended the Nebraska Governor’s Ag and Economic Development Summit in Kearney, Nebraska where he highlighted the PACE program and SE Municipal Solar LLC. Joining him were representatives from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, we have seen incredible ingenuity when it comes to finding new ways to provide clean, affordable energy to rural Americans,” Administrator Berke said. “The PACE project we are announcing today – and many others to come – reduces costs, creates jobs, and provides new economic opportunities for rural Americans. This gives people in rural America a better chance to succeed and stay in the rural communities they love.”
The project is also committed to hiring apprentices and providing workforce training to create job opportunities. This award not only supports the local economy but also contributes to skill development and community empowerment.