USDA Opens New $410 Million Program to Boost Affordable, Reliable Rural Electric Energy

(Washington, D.C., Aug. 3, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Karl Elmshaeuser today announced $410 million available in the new Powering Affordable Reliable Technology (PART) Program to increase the supply of rural power and support the reliability of America's electrical grid.

"This new opportunity advances President Trump's priorities to strengthen America's energy infrastructure and lower costs for American families," said Administrator Elmshaeuser. "Guided by the President's executive orders to bring back energy dominance and strength, we're working to ensure our grid is resilient in the face of growing demand."

PART, administered through USDA Rural Development's RUS, offers partially forgivable loans to invest in infrastructure that produces electricity from hydro, geothermal or biomass energy sources as well as investments in energy storage systems to make intermittent renewable energy systems more reliable. Financing new reliable, resilient and affordable sources of power as well as storage devices adds reliability, resiliency and dispatchability to sources of power.

Individual awards for partially forgivable loans will range between $1 million and $100 million and will support affordable power for American families, and infrastructure that keeps pace with economic expansion.

RUS is accepting Letters of Interest beginning September 8,2026, and until October 9, 2026.

For more information on this program, visit the program page online and review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making agency investment data accessible to the public.

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