SE Municipal Solar LLC in Nebraska has been selected to move forward to receive nearly $30 million to build eight solar photovoltaic generation facilities totaling 18.72 megawatts. The facilities will be located in the public power communities of Alliance, Gering, Sidney, Imperial, Ansley, Pender, Crete, and Stuart, Nebraska.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA is moving forward in the awards process with a new clean energy project through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program.
In May 2023, USDA made $1 billion available through PACE to fund new clean energy projects and energy storage in rural America.
This program provides low interest loans with up to 60% loan forgiveness to renewable energy developers, rural electric cooperatives and other rural energy providers for renewable energy storage and projects that use wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass.
It is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investment areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
To date, USDA has selected 13 projects in 6 states totaling $495 million to move forward in the PACE application process.
USDA expects to continue making PACE awards in the coming months.
