STOWE, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) this morning at the Town of Stowe Electric Department to celebrate $6 million in new federal funding for Vermont’s transition to clean energy. The funding, powered by the USDA’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program and announced today as part of the USDA’s investment of $78.3 million in partially forgivable loans, was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The USDA’s investment in the Town of Stowe Electric Department will help develop small hydroelectric and solar facilities with a backup battery energy storage system, providing enough renewable energy to power approximately 115 local households.
“We’ve worked hard to strengthen rural America’s energy grid and get people connected to clean, affordable, reliable energy sources—and the Inflation Reduction Act has been an important tool in powering this transformation. The USDA’s new $6 million investment in Vermont will provide renewable energy to more than 115 rural homes and give families more security when extreme weather hits,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to support initiatives in Washington that help communities across the country lower energy costs and transition to cleaner energy sources.”
“Partnering with local governments, companies, and others to provide clean, reliable energy to rural Americans lower’s people’s costs, strengthens the nation’s energy security and reduces pollution,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the USDA’s funding announcement. “Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has made historic investments in rural America to create a more affordable and sustainable future, benefiting rural families, businesses and the health of our planet for generations to come.”
The PACE program helps make clean, affordable, and reliable energy accessible to rural Vermont and people across rural America. In May 2023, USDA made $1 billion available through PACE to strengthen rural America’s power grid and prevent power outages when extreme weather events hit. The funding represents the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936.
Senator Welch was joined at Stowe Electric by Andrew Berke, Service Administrator at USDA Rural Utilities; Sarah Waring, State Director of USDA RD Vermont and New Hampshire; Jackie Pratt, Stowe Electric General Manager; Michael Lazorchak, Stowe Electric Regulatory Affairs; Charles Safford, Manager, Town of Stowe; Chris Carey, Christian Carey Architects; Lindsay Ashworth, Small Hydro Consultant; Brian Cote, SLR Consulting; Sara Teachout, Commissioner, Stowe Electric Department; Seth Jenson, Lamoille County Deputy Director; and Representatives from the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
View photos from the event below:
Senator Welch is the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy. He helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act as a member of the House of Representatives.
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