News Spotlight
	Electric Program Welcomes James R. Newby as Assistant Administrator: Read Mr. Newby's bio. Electric Program publishes Final Rule for Electric System Emergency Restoration Plan (7 CFR 1730): See Federal Register Issuances page.

Welcome to the Rural Development Electric Program

Providing reliable, affordable electricity is essential to the economic well-being and quality of life for all of the nation's rural residents. The Electric Program of USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) provides leadership and capital to upgrade, expand, maintain, and replace America's vast rural electric infrastructure. Under the authority of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, RUS makes direct loans and loan guarantees to electric utilities to serve customers in rural areas. Through RUS, the federal government is the majority noteholder for more than 700 electric systems.

The Electric Program makes loans and loan guarantees to finance the construction of electric distribution, transmission and generation facilities, including system improvements and replacement required to furnish and improve electric service in rural areas, and for demand side management, energy conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems.

RUS makes loans to corporations, states, territories and subdivisions and agencies such as municipalities, people's utility districts, and cooperative, nonprofit, limited-dividend, or mutual associations that provide retail electric service needs to rural areas or supply the power needs of distribution borrowers in rural areas. RUS also provides financial assistance to rural communities with extremely high energy costs to acquire, construct, extend, upgrade, and otherwise improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities. RUS services approximately 686 active electric borrowers in 47 states.

Visit Page 2 for additional links and descriptions of some of our pages.