U.S. Department of Agriculture funds will go toward modernizing a power grid by installing fiber-optic cable to supply a secure high-speed communications path to nearly 60,000 Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative customers, U.S. Sen. John Boozman and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman announced in Ozark on Friday.
The $151 million investment through the department's Electric Infrastructure Loan Program will help Arkansans in 10 counties: Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Newton, Pope, Scott, Sebastian and Yell.
Boozman is co-chairman of the U.S. Senate's Broadband Caucus. Friday's announcement was made with USDA Rural Development State Director David Branscum and Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Chief Executive Officer Al Simpson.