The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has promised in recent months to invest more than $108 million in Minnesota’s electrical systems, including $43 million last week, amid the Trump administration’s promises to rebuild rural infrastructure nationwide. The federal loans come via the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, which some advocates also want to see carry out a massive expansion of broadband internet in sparsely populated areas.

More than 40 percent of the electric distribution infrastructure in the U.S. is provided by rural entities that are currently or formerly customers of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue noted in recent congressional testimony.

“I saw firsthand that communities that cannot offer safe and reliable water, wastewater facilities, efficient electricity, broadband service … cannot hope to grow businesses or attract new employers to their area,” Perdue said.

I assume this is different than the funding I mentioned earlier, which was specifically for Community Connect Grant through the Broadband Grant Speed.