USDA Opens Program to Boost Rural Electric Energy

U.S. Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, D.C. - (News Release) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator, Karl Elmshaeuser, recently announced the availability of $410 million in funding through the new Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program. The program is designed to strengthen the nation's electrical grid by increasing the supply of reliable power in rural communities.

“This new opportunity advances President Trump’s priorities to strengthen America’s energy infrastructure and lower costs for American families,” said Administrator Elmshaeuser. “Guided by the President’s executive orders to bring back energy dominance and strength, we’re working to ensure our grid is resilient in the face of growing demand.”

PART, administered through USDA Rural Development’s RUS, offers partially forgivable loans to invest in infrastructure that produces electricity from hydro, geothermal or biomass energy sources as well as investments in energy storage systems to make intermittent renewable energy systems more reliable. Financing new reliable, resilient and affordable sources of power as well as storage devices adds reliability, resiliency and dispatchability to sources of power.

Individual awards for partially forgivable loans will range between $1 million and $100 million and will support affordable power for American families, and infrastructure that keeps pace with economic expansion.

RUS is accepting Letters of Interest beginning September 8,2026, and until October 9, 2026.

For more information on this program, visit the program page online and review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway.