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Dairyland Power Cooperative, Minnesota Power, and Basin Electric Cooperative Receive Second RUS Approval for Nemadji Trail Energy Center Project

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has again issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) project, a 625-MW combined-cycle natural gas facility along with a 345-kilovolt transmission line, relocation of an existing gas pipeline, and construction of a new gas pipeline to tap an existing gas supply network,...

NRECA to Press Congress to Approve Repricing of RUS Loans

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is planning to urge Congress and the incoming Biden administration to support legislation to reprice Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loans at current low interest rates. The proposed legislation would allow coops to request rate adjustments on existing RUS loans within 180 days of the bill’s enactment and waive any prepayment...

New Legislation in Congress Could Save Coops Billions

Members of Congress introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday in both the House and Senate that could save electric cooperatives more than $10 billion by allowing them to reprice loans from the Rural Utilities Service at current low interest rates.

New RUS Administrator Appointed

President Obama has appointed Brandon McBride as the new Administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS).  Mr. McBride served as a Senior Professional Staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry from 2009 through his appointment.  Prior to that, he served as a Legislative Assistant and Grants Specialist for Senator Blanche Lincoln from 2003 to 2009...

Obama Administration Seeks $6 Billion Budget for RUS Program with Similar Previously-Rejected Restrictions on Lending

The Obama administration is pursuing a $6 billion budget for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Loan program’s 2016 fiscal year, a $500 million increase over the program’s 2015 fiscal year.  Reflecting the administration’s goal of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, this budget has allocated $3 billion for environmental updates to existing fossil-fuel plants and another $3...

USDA Announces Efficiency Funding for Two Coops

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service will provide $10.5 million in loans from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program to Roanoke Electric Membership Corporation and North Arkansas Electric Cooperative.  The funds will be used by members of the coops to invest in efficiency upgrades to their homes or businesses.  Click here to read...

Senate Agriculture Committee Raises Concerns about Proposed RUS Environmental Regulation

In its report accompanying spending legislation for fiscal year 2015, the Senate Agriculture Committee has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development office to provide a report on the impact of a controversial regulation proposed by the USDA.  The regulation at issue would reclassify all loan transactions for Rural Utilities Service (RUS) borrowers as “major...

RUS Electric Loan Program at Risk?

Electric coops that borrow from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) could face unprecedented new requirements if a proposed federal rule is approved.  The rule, proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency, would reclassify many common activities associated with RUS loans in a way that triggers federally required environmental reviews, in addition to the...

Dairyland Receives White House Invitation

Nominated by the Rural Utilities Service, officials of Dairyland Power Cooperative will head to the White House for recognition of the coop’s ongoing efforts to promote and develop renewable energy projects.  Approximately 13 percent of Dairyland’s energy resources are comprised of renewable sources, which exceeds state renewable energy requirements.  Read more here.

Bipartisan Support Builds for Size and Flexibility of RUS Lending Program

One hundred sixty-nine House members—89 Republicans and 80 Democrats—have voiced their support for the Obama Administration’s proposal to set funding of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Loan Program at $5 billion for fiscal year 2015.  However, they have also asked that the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee reject the Administration’s proposal to earmark as much...

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