Press Release

Repowering Rural America with Clean Energy

By Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo

August 3, 2023

On May 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened two new programs to advance clean energy generation in rural areas using about $11 billion in funds allocated by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The two new programs, Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) and Empowering Rural America (New ERA), will be administered by USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and will support energy reliability and the resilience of rural energy systems in the face of increased wildfires and extreme weather events due to climate change. Combined with the $2 billion allocated to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), these programs represent the largest federal investment in rural areas since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.

USDA has set a single funding window for both programs with a two-stage process. Eligible applicants can send Letters of Interest (LOIs) for the PACE program between July 10 and September 29. If their letters are approved, applicants will have 60 days to complete a full application, and awards will be announced through the end of 2025. Awardees will have until September 30, 2031, to deploy the funds awarded to zero-emission projects in rural areas.

The New ERA program LOI window runs from July 31 through August 29. As in the PACE program, eligible applicants must first send an LOI, which will be evaluated on a competitive basis using point-based selection criteria. Once selected, applicants will have 90 days to submit a full application for the funds sought. Awardees will have until September 30, 2031, to deploy the funds awarded to zero-emission projects in rural areas.

Established by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration through the Rural Electrification Act, rural electric cooperatives are the main beneficiaries of these programs. In the United States, 900 co-ops serve about 60 percent of the country’s landmass and power more than 40 million homes and businesses. As nonprofits and member-owned entities, co-ops are able to be creative in their funding and deployment mechanisms to best meet the needs of their customers.

Since the Rural Electrification Act was enacted, the Rural Utilities Service has been offering loans and grants to co-ops to electrify rural areas. These long-term and affordable loans helped co-ops develop power plants and transmission lines to bring power to rural households and businesses. The PACE and New ERA programs continue this tradition of supporting the electrification of rural areas, but with an emphasis on clean energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rural electric cooperatives have made investments in renewable energy over the past decade, but about 28 percent of their electricity still came from coal in 2020—compared to 19 percent nationally—and one-third came from natural gas. Only 22 percent of co-op electricity came from renewable energy, including hydropower. Because cooperatives operate as nonprofit entities, many can’t make hefty upfront investments in new renewable infrastructure or offload expensive fossil fuel plants that are no longer economical. PACE and New ERA can help rural utilities make those upfront payments for clean energy projects and refinance the debt they hold on stranded fossil fuel power plants. These investments can help rural communities advance towards a net-zero future.

Both programs seek to increase clean energy adoption and resilience in disadvantaged rural communities previously left out of the clean energy economy. Potential applicants must explain how their projects would meet the goals of the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative, which seeks to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits from federal investments reach disadvantaged communities. Applicants can use the Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to determine if their project is located in a disadvantaged or distressed community. A disadvantaged community is one that has historically suffered from a combination of economic, health, and environmental burdens. These burdens include poverty, high unemployment, air and water pollution, presence of hazardous wastes, and a high incidence of asthma and heart disease

In addition to helping implement Justice40, applicants are expected to engage with their communities, invest in their local workforces; and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Both programs allow applicants to submit joint applications, which can help smaller organizations collaborate on putting together applications. Eligible applicants can apply for funding under PACE and New ERA, but not for the same project.

Office of Elections to Hold Voter’s Choice Act Public Hearing on Thursday, Aug. 17 to Review Draft Election Administration Plan

The Humboldt County Office of Elections will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17 regarding the County of Humboldt’s upcoming transition to the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) elections format.

Background

The County of Humboldt will soon be transitioning to the VCA elections format. Approved by California lawmakers in 2016, and established by Senate Bill 450, the VCA expands voters’ options for how, when and where they cast their ballots by:

• Mailing every voter a ballot

• Expanding in-person early voting

• Allowing voters to cast a ballot at any vote center within their county

• Providing secure ballot drop off locations throughout the county

Under California law the Office of Elections is required to submit an Election Administration Plan (EAP) that describes how the County of Humboldt will administer elections under the VCA. To meet the state’s requirements, the Office of Elections must engage the public on the draft EAP and gather feedback through the public hearing consultation process.

The County of Humboldt’s draft EAP can be reviewed at: humboldtgov.org/VotersChoiceAct

Public Hearing

The public hearing to discuss the draft EAP will take place on Thursday, Aug. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.at Arcata City Hall in the Council Chamber, located at 736 F St. in Arcata.

Community members are invited to attend and participate in person or on Zoom to give public comment. To attend the public hearing on Zoom, visit: https://tinyurl.com/HumCoEAP

For more information on how to make public comment during the meeting, please view the meeting agenda,.

The County of Humboldt is committed to providing equal access to all county programs, services and activities through the provision of accommodations for individuals with qualified disabilities as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With 72 hours prior notice, a request for reasonable accommodation for this meeting can be made by calling (707) 445-7481.

Submit Public Comment Prior to the Meeting

Public comment on the draft EAP will be accepted prior to the public hearing until Wednesday, Aug. 16 at noon. Feedback can be submitted through the online submission form, by email at humboldt_elections@co.humboldt.ca.us or over the phone at (707) 445-7481. If you do not have access to email, please contact the Office of Elections at (707) 445-7481.

For more information, please contact the Humboldt County Office of Elections at humboldt_elections@co.humboldt.ca.us or call (707) 445-7481.

About the Humboldt County Office of Elections

The Humboldt County Office of Elections is committed to ensuring all eligible residents have an opportunity to exercise their right to vote; conducting elections in a fair, accurate, and efficient manner; and providing reliable information and the best possible service to voters, districts, candidates, and other interested parties.