WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service – Electric Program (RUS – Electric Program) has awarded $3,696,000 to North Western Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Bryan, an energy provider serving more than 6,000 homes and businesses in Defiance and Williams Counties. The funds will be used to build 11 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines, improving electric service delivery.

“It can often be difficult for rural communities to fully fund critical infrastructure projects,” Brown said. “These funds from the Agriculture Department will help ensure reliable electricity for the residents of Defiance and Williams Counties.

According to the USDA, the RUS - Electric Program supports funding for improving, expanding, and maintaining electric infrastructure in order to improve the quality of life of America’s rural residents.

Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years. In 2014, he was part of the Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee that successfully negotiated a five-year farm bill that had been stalled for more than three years. Brown supported a strong Rural Development title in the 2014 Farm Bill to encourage economic development in rural communities.

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