(Colorado Newsline) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack joined U.S. Representative Yadira Caraveo in Fort Collins  Monday to announce a $9.12 million investment in clean energy for rural communities in northern Colorado.

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The federal funding will go to the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association with the goal of lowering energy costs and improving access to clean energy for rural homes and businesses. The funding came from the Powering Affordable Clean Energy program that’s part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

“For too long, rural America has missed out on the cutting edge,” Caraveo, a Thornton Democrat, said in a statement. “This funding from the PACE program helps end the innovation imbalance by bringing clean, reliable energy to Northern Colorado that will make daily life more affordable for working Coloradans and small businesses.”

The PACE program, which is run by the Department of Agriculture, is the nation’s largest investment in electrificationsince 1936. The funding is predicted to help Poudre Valley REA provide 80 percent clean energy by 2030 without raising rates, according to a press release from Caraveo’s office.

“Rural communities are the backbone of America, and the Biden-Harris Administration is proud to partner with them to create a more affordable and sustainable future that will benefit rural families, businesses and the health of our planet for generations to come,” Vilsack said. “The projects we’re announcing today will create good-paying jobs in the Centennial State, lower energy costs for Colorado families, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the resiliency of our nation’s electric grid.”

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