Addressing the need to improve resource management on the farm and across rural America, USDA has launched a loan program designed to encourage rural electric cooperatives to help consumers reduce energy bills through energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems, reports Southwest Farm Press.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA has funded the first two loans under the new Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Loan Program.
The program could soon bring alternative and sustainable energy resources and programs to rural Texas and the Southwest by encouraging investments in solar, wind and even geothermal energy sources.
This is an historic new bond in the partnership between USDA and our rural electric cooperatives, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.