Six WAPA customers selected to pursue clean energy projects

Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, CORE Electric Cooperative, Minnkota Power Cooperative, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and United Power were selected in a group of 16 finalists for funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. This initiative aims to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable and reliable energy, while reducing air and water pollution.

New ERA funds member-owned rural electric cooperatives, which have been the backbone of America’s rural power delivery for nearly a century. This $9.7 billion program is part of the Inflation Reduction Act and, according to USDA, represents the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law during the New Deal era.

The program supports clean energy investments that reduce pollution, upgrade rural America’s aging energy infrastructure and strengthen America’s energy security. The projects support keeping electricity costs low for hardworking families, farmers and small business owners, and preventing power outages in the face of extreme weather.

WAPA’s customers that will receive funding are:

Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Arizona Electric Cooperative and its members will pursue large-scale investments in renewable power, including 730 megawatts of solar, 2,910 megawatt hours of battery storage and 70 megawatts of wind power throughout Arizona and the Southwest. These projects aim to reduce pollution by more than one million tons in carbon dioxide emissions without sacrificing electricity reliability or affordability. The AEPCO proposal estimates the projects will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by an equivalent of 425,000 gasoline-powered cars annually. AEPCO will also create new community benefit programs to expand consumer-based energy efficiency and carbon reduction efforts in rural communities and establish educational programs so farmers can also benefit from clean energy projects. This investment will create approximately 600 new jobs during construction and 30 new long-term jobs.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative

With this funding, Basin Electric Power Cooperative will procure both additional renewable energy generation and enhance existing cooperative-owned renewable assets, which are expected to total over 1,400 MW across Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. These projects will create short and long-term jobs, reduce carbon emissions and provide estimated cost benefits of more than $400 million to Basin’s members over the life of the New ERA program. Basin estimates it will reduce GHG pollution by about 2.2 million tons annually, the equivalent of removing 522,000 gasoline-powered cars annually. A new community benefits program will focus on workforce development, agricultural sustainability and community safety.

CORE Electric Cooperative

CORE Electric Cooperative will use this New ERA investment to procure approximately 550 MW of new wind and solar and invest in energy reliability through roughly 100 MW of battery storage via several power purchase agreements in rural portions of Colorado. CORE’s initiatives are expected to create new short- and long-term jobs, lower costs for members and reduce pollution in support of Colorado’s net-zero emissions goals. These projects are estimated to provide more than 1.9 million MWh annually while reducing GHG pollution by an estimated 321,000 gasoline-powered cars annually.

Minnkota Power Cooperative

This New ERA investment will support Minnkota Power Cooperative’s pursuit of a carbon capture and storage project (Project Tundra) as well as the procurement of 370 MW of wind energy in North Dakota. These projects will create hundreds of short- and long-term jobs, while providing environmental benefits to rural-member consumers in Minnesota and North Dakota. Minnkota’s proposal aims to reduce GHG pollution by 4.3 million tons, the equivalent pollution of one million cars each year.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.

This New ERA investment will be used for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association to support the retirement of 1,100 MW of coal-fired generation in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, and procure 1,480 MW of renewable energy through solar, wind and battery storage across rural portions of Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Tri-State’s projects are estimated to create nearly 2,200 short- and long-term jobs – including in partnership with labor groups to retrain workers – while reducing member costs by $422 million over 20 years and cutting GHG pollution by nearly 5.8 million tons annually, the equivalent of 1.4 million gasoline-powered cars each year.

United Power

United Power will use this New ERA investment to offset the cost of its transition to a clean energy portfolio – including power purchase agreements – that will provide more than 760 MW of renewable resources. United Power’s portfolio currently features more than 300 megawatts of renewable energy from solar, hydropower and wind. An additional 460 MW of solar generation, anticipated to come online by 2030, includes 160 MW from a member’s agrivoltaics solar project. These projects demonstrate a projected GHG reduction of more than 2.1 million tons annually, equivalent to removing an estimated 522,000 gasoline-powered cars each year. United Power is also committed to implementing a community benefits plan demonstrating investment in a skilled, long-term workforce including supporting its apprenticeship program, line-worker scholarships and developers who are hiring and training workers in the renewable energy sector.

Learn more in the USDA press release.