Halifax EMC, based in Enfield, recently issued a three-year, $243,000 zero-interest loan to Halifax County to purchase nine new patrol vehicles for the Halifax County Sheriff’s Department. This loan is helping the county begin the process of a much-needed fleet upgrade for the department.
The funds were made possible primarily by a $202,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program awarded to Halifax EMC for their Community Loan program. The program provides zero-interest funds to local electric cooperatives, which in turn lend the money to local entities for projects that support rural areas.
Members of the Halifax EMC Board and staff, as well as Halifax County Commissioners and employees, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, and staff from the offices of U.S. Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, pose as the check is presented to Halifax County on Jan. 25.
“This is Halifax EMC’s second community loan using REDLG funding and we are proud to support Halifax County with this project,” Halifax EMC Executive Vice President Charles H. Guerry said. “The cooperative’s structure was created based on concern for community. This zero-interest loan program allows us to support our communities far beyond our electric service.”
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve as a national leader in channel funds from the REDLG program to rural communities. More information about economic development efforts across the state is available in the In the Community section of our website.