Klobuchar co-sponsors bill to expand renewable energy access in rural areas
By Brainerd Dispatch Today at 12:30 p.m.

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., introduced new bipartisan legislation to help rural communities access renewable energy.

The Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act will assist rural communities and rural electricity cooperatives to overcome the barriers to renewable energy storage and grid improvements by providing access to relevant resources and expertise.

In 2013, the Department of Energy created the Solar Utility Network Deployment Acceleration project, in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, to increase the adoption of solar energy in rural communities across the country. The SUNDA project ended in 2018, but the EASE Act would implement similar initiatives and make it as easy as possible for rural communities and their electricity cooperatives to plan, implement and maintain their own renewable energy storage and microgrid projects.

"We need a comprehensive energy strategy that puts America back in control of our energy supply—one that creates jobs, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, keeps energy costs affordable for all Americans, and responds to the challenges of global climate change," Klobuchar stated in a news release. "This bipartisan legislation will improve rural community energy resiliency and autonomy, spur economic activity, and improve public and environmental health."

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