PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- A cooperative that supplies power to nine of the electric co-ops serving the central part of South Dakota is one of the recipients splitting over $7.3 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative is one of 16 entities receiving dollars from the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says each year, the 16 projects will collectively remove the carbon emissions equivalent of more than 10 million cars.

USDA Rural Development State Director for South Dakota Nikki Gronli (gron-a-lee) says with this funding, Basin Electric will procure more than 1,400 megawatts of additional renewable energy generation.

USDA says the Basin Electric project will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by an estimated 2.2 million tons annually, which is the equivalent of removing 522,000 gasoline-powered cars from the roadways. Among the cooperatives in central South Dakota that get at least some of their power from Basin Electric are: Oahe Electric, West Central Electric, Rosebud Electric, Moreau-Grand Electric, FEM Electric, East River Electric, Dakota Energy, Cherry-Todd Electric and Cam Wal Electric.