USDA Announces $232 Million for Illinois Internet, Electricity, Water Projects

Rural communities in Illinois will receive more than $232 million in federal funds to expand access to high-speed internet, clean water and reliable electricity, USDA announced Thursday.

The loans and grants will cover projects led by 18 different municipalities and businesses in central and southern Illinois. 

Money will be awarded through a number of UDSA programs funded by the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law last month. The Illinois funds are part of a larger $5.2 billion investment in 359 different rural infrastructure projects across 46 states, USDA said. 

“When we invest in rural infrastructure, we invest in the livelihoods and health of people in rural America,” Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. "The investments we are announcing today will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come.”Under the Electric Infrastructure Loan Program, the Illinois Electric Company will receive a $25.6 million loan and the Menard Electric Cooperative will receive a nearly $23.5 million loan to finance electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities.

The Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, which services parts of southeastern Illinois, will also receive a $124.7 million loan through the same program.

A combined $4.9 million in Community Connect grants will be split by the Wabash Telephone Cooperative and Jo-Carroll Energy, Inc. to expand broadband service. 

And another $39.9 million in loans and grants will be distributed to a dozen Illinois municipalities and organizations for water and environmental infrastructure improvements. 

Among those investments is a $14 million loan and a $4.4 million grant for the city of McLeansboro, a $4.7 million loan for the Western Wayne Water District and a combined $1.8 million loan and grant for the Scott-Morgan-Greene Water Cooperative.