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Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative to use $14.6 million to improve reliability

Heavy machinery is used to cut trees to widen an existing Central Maine Power power line corridor to make way for new utility poles, April 26, 2021, near Bingham, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP file
FILE photo - Central Maine Power power line corridor pictured on, April 26, 2021, near Bingham, Maine.

The USDA has awarded a loan of more than $14 million to Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative to build or improve more than 70 miles of power lines.

The cooperative said it will use the loan to connect 600 consumers. The funds will also go toward a four year plan to improve the reliability of the electric system that serves roughly 13,000 customers along Maine's eastern border with Canada.

Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson said local funding alone is not adequate to modernize local infrastructure.

This week USDA released a total of more than 200 awards across 44 states.

Kaitlyn Budion is Maine Public’s Bangor correspondent, joining the reporting team after several years working in print journalism.