Press Releases

WASHINGTON—Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) applauded two grants announced today from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative Association and Ark Valley Electric Cooperative Association to improve rural electric infrastructure. Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative Association will receive an $8.1 million investment to build and improve 67 miles of line and invest in smart grid technologies. Ark Valley Electric Cooperative Association will receive a $5.7 million investment to build and improve 29 miles of line and increase its smart grid reliability.

"Improving our electric infrastructure is critical to growing our economy and enhancing overall quality of life, especially in our rural communities," said Rep. Estes. "I thank Secretary Purdue and the Trump administration for investing in south central Kansas and providing this needed funding to improve electric lines that impact thousands of people in our region."

Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative Association Inc. serves more than 6,800 consumers over 1,175 miles of line in Harvey, Kingman, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner counties. Headquartered in South Hutchinson, Kansas, and energized in 1939, Ark Valley is a rural distribution cooperative serving nearly 5,200 consumers through 2,101 miles of line.

The grants were part of an announcement today by Secretary Sonny Perdue that USDA is investing a total of $1.4 billion in projects in 21 states to build and improve rural electric infrastructure. Read the announcement here.

Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means.