Washington, D.C. — In response to today’s announcement from the Biden-Harris administration that the Department of Agriculture will invest an additional $1 billion from the Empowering Rural America (known as New ERA) program in rural cooperatives, including $2.5B in grants and loans for Tri-State in Colorado, funded through the IRA, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Conservation Colorado  issued the following statements: 

“Congratulations to the Biden-Harris administration for making yet another major investment for a clean energy future, directed to rural communities, which will help families across the country save money on clean energy, and rural cooperatives keep the lights on with cheap renewable energy and grid enhancing technologies,” said Vice President of Federal Policy Matthew Davis. “The administration and Congressional Democrats delivered transformational benefits with their historic affordable clean energy plan, which in just two years has created over 330,000 family-sustaining jobs and leveraged nearly a trillion dollars in private sector and other investments to cut climate and health-harming pollution, fight against the fossil-fueled climate crisis, and advance our domestic competitiveness in the global economy.”

***

“The Biden-Harris administration continues to deliver for rural Coloradans with big investments in affordable clean energy and grid innovations for the rural cooperatives that provide power for millions of consumers,” said Conservation Colorado Climate Campaign Manager Paul Sherman. “These investments will drive down energy costs for rural homes and businesses, improve the reliability of our grid, and reduce pollution that fouls our skies.”

###