USDA New ERA program allots $200 million to Columbus-based co-op for rural renewable energy

By JARED BARTON – Columbus Telegram, Neb. (TNS)

Across Nebraska, renewable energy production such as wind turbines and solar farms has gained a lot of traction, and a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will create even more energy.

On Dec. 19, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture — and former Iowa governor — Tom Vilsack announced an investment of $4.37 billion in renewable energy projects nationwide through the Empowering Rural America program (New ERA).

Part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the program allots funding to rural energy cooperatives, including the Columbus-based Nebraska Electric Generation & Transmission Co-op, which will receive $200 million for renewable energy projects in its coverage area — Burt, Butler and Custer counties — according to a USDA news release.

“USDA is committed to enhancing the quality of life and improving air and water in our rural communities,” Vilsack said in the release. “The Inflation Reduction Act’s historic investments enable USDA to partner with rural electric cooperatives to strengthen America’s energy security and lower electricity bills for hardworking families, farmers and small business owners.”

Darin Bloomquist, NEG&T general manager, wasn’t able to shed much light on the project due to non-disclosure agreements with the entities involved, though he did say that the co-op is excited about the opportunity this grant funding provides.

According to the news release, the NEG&T development will procure 725 megawatts of wind and solar energy, enough to power 170,000 homes each year, cut up to 2.2 million tons of pollution per year and support as many as 425 new jobs.

“What I can say is that NEG&T is a proud cooperative made up of 20 electric distribution utilities that provide service to around 150,000 end-use customers in Nebraska and we are working relentlessly to make this award reality to enhance the affordable and reliable electric service that our customers have enjoyed since our founding in 1956,” Bloomquist said in an email to The Telegram.

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