Biden to announce $7 billion for rural clean energy projects in swing state Wisconsin

Provided for in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed by Democrats and signed by President Joe Biden, the money would go to 16 rural electric cooperatives to build or buy a range of projects, including wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower and battery storage. The funds, leveraged by $29 billion in private investment, would aim to build more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy in rural areas.

The president, along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, is expected to deliver the message Thursday afternoon during a visit to Wisconsin, a key swing state in the presidential election.

The Agriculture Department said the grants represent the largest investment in clean energy in rural areas since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the New Deal into law.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are supporting a more prosperous future for rural communities by accelerating the transition to clean energy while keeping monthly bills low and investing in the American workforce by providing new jobs and apprenticeships,” Vilsack said in a written statement. “One in five rural Americans will benefit from these investments in clean energy through partnerships with rural electric cooperatives like Dairyland. Simply put, this is rural power for rural America.”

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Rural areas often lag behind in clean energy and electrification. For example, while many Midwestern and rural states have larger driving ranges and lack public transportation, many lack the charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

The projects aim to reduce or eliminate at least 43.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, which is the equivalent of removing more than 10 million cars from the roads each year.