Ohio reacts to Biden's investment targeting rural electrification

Farah Siddiqi

President Joe Biden has announced a landmark $7.3 billion investment, the largest since the FDR New Deal, aimed at electrifying rural America.

Funded by his Inflation Reduction Act, the initiative will bring significant changes to energy infrastructure across the country, benefiting farmers, businesses and communities waiting for modern power solutions.

Weston Lombard, a farmer from Athens County and a recipient of funding, the program is a welcome relief but he believes there is more to be done.

"I was super fortunate to benefit from the IRA program, but there are so many other people who aren't benefiting," Lombard pointed out. "$7 billion is amazing but I know it's not going to touch all the communities."

Lombard, whose farm faces frequent power outages, appreciates the cost savings and improved grid reliability but prefers a more sustainable, off-grid approach. He noted he has installed solar panels and hopes to expand neighborhood electric generation projects but prefers relying on ecosystem services rather than external energy.

As Biden unveiled the initiative, he underscored the unprecedented opportunities for rural communities and nonprofit co-ops to benefit from clean-energy tax credits, historically reserved for larger utilities.

"For the first time in American history, these nonprofit co-ops can benefit from clean-energy tax credits just like for-profit utilities have for decades," Biden said.

The federal government sees the investment as a crucial first step.

Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, emphasized the funding will help transform energy infrastructure in the heart of rural America, marking the beginning of a larger commitment to energy modernization and job creation.

"Sixteen rural electric cooperatives from across the country have been selected as a part of this first round of awards from the Department of Agriculture's Empowering Rural America program," Jean-Pierre outlined.

Jean-Pierre stressed the cooperatives are set to lower energy costs for rural Americans, enhance grid reliability, and create more than 4,500 permanent jobs and more than 16,000 construction jobs.

She added the move is a critical piece of the administration's strategy to not only boost rural economies but accelerate the transition to cleaner, more reliable energy sources for future generations.