BISMARCK – Central Power and Verendrye Electric Cooperative are participating in nearly $150 million in electric infrastructure funding coming to North Dakota as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Erin Oban announced.

USDA is financing projects through the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee program and selecting the first applications to move forward in the awards process for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy program.

Central Power Electric Cooperative will use a $33.9 million loan to build and improve 60 miles of transmission line through transmission system improvements. Central Power is headquartered in Minot, serving more than 68,259 consumers in 25 counties across the central and the southeastern third of North Dakota.

Verendrye Electric Cooperative, Velva, received a $37.55 million loan to connect 847 consumers and build and improve 298 miles of line. This loan includes more than $5.6 million in smart grid technologies. Verendrye serves an average of 16,586 consumers over 4,631 miles in McHenry, McLean, Pierce, Renville, Sheridan, Ward and Wells counties.