USDA Announces Record $3.3 Billion Loan to Oglethorpe Power for Georgia Power Plant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in Washington on October 14 that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is providing a $3.3 billion loan to Georgia-based Oglethorpe Power for its new Plant Smarr Combined Cycle Facility in Monroe County, Georgia. USDA said the loan, provided through its Rural Utilities Service (RUS), is the largest in the agency's history.
Rollins announced the loan during a visit to the facility's construction site. "The Trump Administration is committed to lowering energy costs for hardworking Americans," she said. "Thanks to the bipartisan support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Oglethorpe Power's loan was accelerated and will deliver affordable, reliable, and abundant energy to working families across the country — providing much-needed capacity for millions of Georgians. This loan demonstrates that USDA is helping Georgians produce affordable, reliable, abundant, and secure energy, and Americans can trust USDA to deliver real results in energy."
Oglethorpe Power Board Chair Marshall Miller said: "We are deeply grateful to Secretary Brooke Rollins and RUS Administrator Karl Watson for their support of our new Plant Smarr project. This facility will provide reliable electric service to a region experiencing rapid growth. We remain committed to responsibly developing energy resources that support the long-term growth of Georgia communities while ensuring reliability and affordability."
USDA said Oglethorpe Power is owned by 38 of Georgia's electric membership corporations and provides wholesale electric service to those member cooperatives serving communities across the state. Todd Lindsey Smith, Acting Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, said: "With the support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, RUS was able to deliver this loan sooner than anticipated — and that's exactly what Georgia's communities need: faster access to affordable, reliable energy for rural working families and businesses." Curtis Bloodworth, the agency's Rural Electric Program Administrator, said: "Plant Smarr will be a significant addition to Georgia's reliable and affordable electric generation. RUS is proud to support its construction."
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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