Nonprofit electric cooperatives that serve customers in Mississippi and Alabama will receive $158 million in federal loans to extend service to new customers and implement smart grid improvements.
A $125 million loan will allow Singing River Electric to extend service to 13,191 consumers and build and improve 770 miles of line. Smart grid improvements that are also part of the loan will add up to more than $19.1 million.
Southwest Electric will receive $33 million to extend service to 3,397 consumers and build and improve 248 miles of line. This loan includes $3.6 million for smart grid improvements.
Both projects are part of 64 nationwide that will receive $2.7 billion from the Electric Loan Program. Of that total, $613 million will go toward smart grid technology, which can act as a jumping-off point for co-ops to add broadband service. In 2019, Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a bill that allowed nonprofit electric power associations to bring broadband service to their customers.
“These critical investments will benefit rural people and businesses in many ways for decades to come,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “This funding will help rural cooperatives and utilities invest in changes that make our energy more efficient, more reliable, and more affordable. Investing in infrastructure – roads, bridges, broadband, and energy – supports good-paying jobs and keeps the United States poised to lead the global economy.
Singing River is a nonprofit electric cooperative that is based in Lucedale and serves 77,164 members with 7,629 miles of line in George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Perry, Stone, and Wayne counties in Mississippi. The co-op’s service area also extends to parts of Mobile and Washington counties in Alabama.
Southwest is based in Lorman and serves 25,516 consumers over 4,213 miles of line in nine counties in Mississippi.
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
