RUS IRA new ERA grant

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarded a $10,527,193 Project Grant under the New Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program (CFDA 10.758) to Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corp, a not-for-profit electric utility company in New Roads, Louisiana. The grant, awarded on January 15, 2025, will fund the cooperative's efforts to transform its rural electric infrastructure to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing the resiliency, reliability, and affordability of its electric system. The New ERA Program provides financial assistance to eligible electric cooperatives to support projects focused on energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy deployment, zero-emission systems, and carbon capture storage initiatives. Additionally, the cooperative has received multiple sub-grant awards from the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management totaling several grants between 2020 and 2024 to support critical infrastructure needs, including utility services, emergency protective measures, and infrastructure maintenance and resilience across Pointe Coupee and Iberville Parishes.