U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on May 6 helped break ground on a new more than 26,000-square foot lineworker training facility to support year-round training opportunities for the region’s electric industry.
The facility is being built under an agreement between the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) and Bismarck State College, and is being funded by a $4 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration, as well as $1 million in matching funds from local electric cooperatives.
“Our electric cooperatives play an essential role in North Dakota’s quality of life, and we appreciate their continued investment in the future of our state, as this new training facility will help ensure a skilled workforce to expand and maintain our electric grid for years to come,” said Sen. Hoeven, who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The new training facility aligns with Sen. Hoeven’s ongoing efforts to ensure the reliability of the electric grid by advancing efforts to crack the code on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies; pressing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure baseload power sources are properly valued; and working as the lead Republican on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to promote robust investment in rural infrastructure, according to his staff.
“We are working to help ensure our cooperatives’ success in providing the reliable and affordable power that our homes and businesses need,” said Sen. Hoeven. “This includes securing strong support for the federal programs they rely on and advancing new innovations like CCUS that will enable our nation to continue utilizing baseload power sources, including North Dakota’s abundant coal resources.”
In addition, Sen. Hoeven on March 25 joined U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) to introduce the bipartisan Flexible Financing for Rural America Act of 2021, S. 978, to help stabilize the finances of the nation’s rural electric cooperatives and rural broadband providers.
If enacted, S. 978 would enable rural electric coops and telecommunications providers to refinance their Rural Utilities Service debt at lower interest rates, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Hoeven’s office. The bill is under consideration by the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.