March 26 (UPI) — U.S. Department of Agriculture removed prior requirements related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and climate change from rural grant funding requests to support U.S. energy independence and rural communities.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Tuesday announced the changes to previously obligated funding through the Rural Energy for America Program, Empowering Rural America and Powering Affordable Clean Energy programs.
The process gives rural electric providers and small businesses the chance revise their funding applications to eliminate the Biden administration’s DEIA requirements and climate mandates that were embedded in prior proposals.
“President Trump made tackling America’s energy emergency a top priority from day one,” Rollins said. “This review allows rural energy providers and small businesses to align their projects with that mission.”
Rollins said the USDA is ensuring the federal funds support U.S. energy production while supporting the nation’s farmers, ranchers and small businesses.
She said the revisions are needed as the nation moves away from the Inflation Reduction Act that former President Joe Biden signed into law and toward practical energy investments that address the needs of rural communities.
“The IRA was marketed as a cure-all but delivered more bureaucracy than benefits for rural families,” Rollins said.
“This course correction puts those investments back to work to support President Trump’s vision for energy independence and sets rural America on a path to lasting prosperity.”
