WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.4 million grant to the city of Granite Falls for electrical grid upgrades in support of local businesses, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced on Tuesday.
This grant will provide an updated utility infrastructure, providing businesses with reliable service during future natural disasters. The federal investment will be matched with $1.9 million in local funds, according to the news release. It is expected to create or retain 275 jobs, and generate $1 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
"The investment will strengthen the electrical grid and create hundreds of jobs in Granite Falls, bolstering the local economy and community,” Raimondo said in the release. “This project will update critical electrical utility infrastructure that will not only build economic resiliency, but also allow for future business growth and expansion that will increase demand on the grid system.”
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In separate statements, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith applauded the award for supporting rural businesses and enabling a rural community to keep pace with investment into local businesses.
This project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, which provided the Economic Development Administration with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration in calendar years 2021 and 2022.
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