OPALCO is among the 77 electric utilities recently approved for USDA Rural Utility Services loans. OPALCO is approved for a loan of $17.1M to move forward with the submarine cable replacement for the Lopez to San Juan link, as forecast in their long-range and construction work plans. The loan amount also includes other transmission upgrade projects. Loan funds are not awarded in advance, but function as a line of credit, reimbursed as projects progress and as certified by RUS.

The US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced nearly $2.3 billion in loans to build and improve rural electric infrastructure in 31 states. The funding is provided through USDA Rural Development’s Electric Program, which makes loans and loan guarantees to non-profit and cooperative associations. Since 2009, USDA has funded $34 billion in electric loans and more than $1 billion for smart grid technologies.

A video about the OPALCO submarine cable project is available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1XmRDeJ.