Legal Definitions - RUS

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides financial assistance, primarily through loans and grants, to improve essential infrastructure in rural areas across the United States. Its mission is to ensure that rural communities have access to modern utilities such as electricity, telecommunications (including broadband internet), drinking water, and wastewater systems, thereby promoting economic development and quality of life.

Here are some examples of how the Rural Utilities Service applies:

• Example 1: Upgrading an Electrical Grid

  A small, isolated farming community in North Dakota relies on an aging electrical grid that frequently experiences outages, especially during harsh winters. The local electric cooperative wants to modernize the system with more resilient poles and lines and integrate some renewable energy sources to improve reliability and reduce costs for its members. The cooperative applies to the RUS for a low-interest loan to fund these extensive upgrades. This illustrates the RUS's role in providing the necessary capital to ensure reliable electricity for a rural population, directly aligning with its mandate to support vital infrastructure.

• Example 2: Expanding Broadband Internet Access

  A county in rural New Mexico struggles with limited access to high-speed internet, hindering local businesses, remote education for students, and telehealth services. A local non-profit organization wants to establish a fiber optic network to serve several underserved villages that currently have no reliable internet connection. The non-profit applies for a grant from the RUS's broadband program to cover a significant portion of the construction costs. This demonstrates the RUS's function in bridging the digital divide by funding critical telecommunications infrastructure in areas where private providers might not find it economically viable.