Rural Utilities Services

A division of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), it “administers programs that provide much-needed infrastructure or infrastructure improvements to rural communities. These include water and waste treatment, electric power and telecommunications services. All of these services play a critical role in helping to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for rural residents.”“  rd.usda.gov Part of its mission requires that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be conducted prior to funding projects.  In the case of transmission lines, the “EIS must rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives, including no-build and robust non-transmission alternatives.” http://driftlessconservancy.org/2017/01/12/dalc-submits-comments-rural-utilities-service/