Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities

March 2 (News Release)

Rural Utilities Service, a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture, is making available $11.3 million in competitive grants under section 19 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (the RE Act) (7 U.S.C. 918a) to make grants to acquire, construct, extend, upgrade, and otherwise improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities in which the average residential expenditure for home energy is at least 275 percent of the national average residential expenditure for home energy. City, state, and other local governments are eligible for the grants. Applications must be postmarked or filed with Grants.gov by March 5, 2004.

The purpose of this grant program is to provide financial assistance for a broad range of energy facilities, equipment and related activities to offset the impacts of extremely high residential energy costs on eligible communities. Eligible facilities include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems and implementation of cost-effective demand side management and energy conservation programs that benefit eligible communities.

For more information on this grant, please visit http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/RD/RUS/USDA-RD-RUS-HECG03-1/Grant.html

If you have problems with electronic access, you may contact Karen Larsen at 202-720-9545.

(PS:  NEA-ESCO applied for this grant last year and is in the process of applying again for 2004. Our application is for $3 million dollars to assist residences of Apache County, Arizona who do not have any utility connection to their homes.  Hopefully, we'll reach the level USDA feels is deserving this year.  Our research indicates that these off-grid homes are primarily also impoverished homes and would appreciate ANY help they can get!!)