Rural Infrastructure

A recent investment in rural infrastructure, over five billion dollars and forty six states and Puerto Rico from the Agriculture Department, yet what does that look like on the ground level? Iowa State Rural Development Director Theresa Greenfield says part of her state's investment will go… to help them access high speed internet, clean water, dependable electrical power. And then we have wastewater loans also. With examples of how these investments will be used, ranging from upgrades to smart grid electrical technologies, increased public access to high speed broadband and renovation of a lagoon cell to meet floodplain standards. We have about 45 programs, and so we work hard every day to engage with local communities across our state, understand what they've identified there needs to be, and then work to support them with investments of loans and grants to help them realize improvements to their communities. USDA is investing about $331 million in Iowa, designed to uplift rural areas. Our Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association, they're using their electric loan to specifically use that loan to upgrade their smart grid technologies. It's going to help folks across five different counties that really rely on that Rural Electric Service., the SAC and Fox tribe of the Mississippi. In Iowa, they received a Community Connect grant, and they'll be using that to build a fibre to the premises systems to connect in one of their community centers, their community. They can stop by the community center, access high speed internet for free for at least two years. This will help uplift their economic development, their educational opportunities, health care and public safety opportunities. The city of Farragut is using a water and waste disposal loan and grant to renovate a lagoon cell that's going to help their city's sewer system meet floodplain regulations. The southern Iowa Rural Water Association has received a loan to build a new wastewater treatment plant that is really focused on reliable, safe drinking water.