7 USC § 918c - Rural and remote communities electrification grants

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s918c"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 918c - Rural and remote communities electrification grants"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "918c"
section_name: "Rural and remote communities electrification grants"
chapter_number: 31
chapter_name: "RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELEPHONE SERVICE"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "RURAL ELECTRIFICATION"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 95–617, title VI, § 609, as added Pub. L. 109–58, title II, § 209, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 657.)"
---


# § 918c. Rural and remote communities electrification grants

**(a)** **Definitions** In this section:

**(1)** The term “eligible grantee” means a local government or municipality, peoples’ utility district, irrigation district, and cooperative, nonprofit, or limited-dividend association in a rural area.

**(2)** The term “incremental hydropower” means additional generation achieved from increased efficiency after January 1, 2005, at a hydroelectric dam that was placed in service before January 1, 2005.

**(3)** The term “renewable energy” means electricity generated from—

**(A)** a renewable energy source; or

**(B)** hydrogen, other than hydrogen produced from a fossil fuel, that is produced from a renewable energy source.

**(4)** The term “renewable energy source” means—

**(A)** wind;

**(B)** ocean waves;

**(C)** biomass;

**(D)** solar;

**(E)** landfill gas;

**(F)** incremental hydropower;

**(G)** livestock methane; or

**(H)** geothermal energy.

**(5)** The term “rural area” means a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population of not more than 10,000 inhabitants.

**(b)** **Grants** The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, may provide grants under this section to eligible grantees for the purpose of—

**(1)** increasing energy efficiency, siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines serving rural areas; or

**(2)** providing or modernizing electric generation facilities that serve rural areas.

**(c)** **Grant administration**

**(1)** The Secretary shall make grants under this section based on a determination of cost-effectiveness and the most effective use of the funds to achieve the purposes described in subsection (b).

**(2)** For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate grant funds under this section equally between the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b).

**(3)** In making grants for the purposes described in subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall give preference to renewable energy facilities.

**(d)** **Authorization of appropriations** There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2012.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 95–617, title VI, § 609, as added Pub. L. 109–58, title II, § 209, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 657.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, and not as part of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 which comprises this chapter.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definitions

Secretary means the Secretary of Energy, see , Conservation.