Bill > S1757

This bill, the Clean Energy Infrastructure for Rural Communities Act of 2011, aims to bolster rural communities by expanding access to clean energy and natural gas infrastructure. It amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to provide electric loans not only for electric generation but also for transmission facilities specifically designed to connect renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind farms, to high-voltage power lines, and it removes a previous requirement that loan interest rates for renewable energy projects match tax-exempt municipal bond rates. Additionally, the bill modifies the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary to make and insure loans for developing infrastructure that provides access to natural gas in rural areas, defining "natural gas" to include both pure natural gas and mixtures of natural and artificial gas, thereby improving the economic and environmental conditions in these communities.