ECE adds $12M to its grant arsenal for fiber project

In early March 2024, East Central Energy was awarded three broadband grants that total $12.2 million.

On March 5, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that ECE was awarded one of the MN Border-to-Border Broadband Development grants totaling nearly $5 million. This is the fifth grant that DEED has awarded to ECE and will target the cooperative’s broadband expansion into southern Mille Lacs County, MN.

Two days later, on March 7, ECE was notified that the cooperative had been awarded two grants from the Wisconsin Broadband Office’s Capital Projects Fund, totaling nearly $7.2 million! The grants cover two separate areas in northern and southern Douglas County, WI.

Fiber construction plans are determined each year by grant area specifications and amount of member interest gathered. Construction will generally follow ECE’s power structure with both overhead and underground lines being installed, taking place from ground thaw to ground freeze each year.

“The work we are doing will change the lives of members for decades to come,” Jahnz emphasized. “A reliable, high-speed fiber connection will deliver major services such as remote work, telemedicine, and distance learning.”

East Central Energy will continue to submit grant applications to help with the expansion of ECE Fiber, and to keep costs affordable for members. Construction plans for 2024 have been confirmed and are available to view on the Service Area Map page.

The three awarded grants are highlighted orange in the above map.