Power associations get federal loans

AROUND MISSISSIPPI — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 58 rural utilities and cooperatives in 33 states have been selected to receive $2.4 billion in loans and loan guarantees to build and repair over 12,000 miles of distribution and transmission lines and make system improvements that will benefit almost 113,000 rural customers.

The borrowers in Mississippi are Singing River Electric Power Association ($48.898 million), Natchez Trace Electric Power Association ($3 million) and South Mississippi Electric Power Association ($62.903 million).

These loans and loan guarantees are part of USDA Rural Development’s annual budget and are not funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.