**(a) Loans** The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this chapter as the “Secretary”) is authorized and empowered to make loans, or refinance loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this chapter, in the several States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification and for the purpose of furnishing and improving electric and telephone service in rural areas, as provided in this chapter, and for the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to implement demand side management, energy efficiency and conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems.
**(b) Investigations and reports** The Secretary may make, or cause to be made, studies, investigations, and reports regarding matters, including financial, technological, and regulatory matters, affecting the condition and progress of electric, telecommunications, and economic development in rural areas, and publish and disseminate information with respect to the matters.
**(c) Technical assistance** Not later than 180 days after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Energy under which the Secretary of Energy shall provide technical assistance to the Rural Utilities Service on loans to be made under subsection (a) of this section and [section 904(a) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section904/a&num=0&edition=prelim).
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_02cc48bd359ac5384c71a2f5 Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-7/section-902-general-authority-of-secretary-of-agriculture--bfe95d8fdf.md Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded Passage SHA-256: ec6aec7fbdce788fca8e0b28f9f82fcee211dcbbf47b4d65ae98e006ad5339d5 Retained source evidence SHA-256: fe5793ce62622b6ab0b712db5db4a825c9e89e53517bf8a1e7ec2b293f051d41
Source location: Title 7, Chapter 31, § 902; chapter-031-rural-electrification-and-telephone-service.md
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**(a) Loans** The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this chapter as the “Secretary”) is authorized and empowered to make loans, or refinance loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary under this chapter, in the several States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification and for the purpose of furnishing and improving electric and telephone service in rural areas, as provided in this chapter, and for the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to implement demand side management, energy efficiency and conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems.
**(b) Investigations and reports** The Secretary may make, or cause to be made, studies, investigations, and reports regarding matters, including financial, technological, and regulatory matters, affecting the condition and progress of electric, telecommunications, and economic development in rural areas, and publish and disseminate information with respect to the matters.
**(c) Technical assistance** Not later than 180 days after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Energy under which the Secretary of Energy shall provide technical assistance to the Rural Utilities Service on loans to be made under subsection (a) of this section and [section 904(a) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section904/a&num=0&edition=prelim).
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
§ 902. General authority of Secretary of Agri-
culture
(a) Loans
The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in
this chapter as the ‘‘Secretary’’) is authorized
and empowered to make loans, or refinance
loans made or guaranteed by the Secretary
under this chapter, in the several States and
Territories of the United States for rural elec-
trification and for the purpose of furnishing and
improving electric and telephone service in
rural areas, as provided in this chapter, and for
the purpose of assisting electric borrowers to
implement demand side management, energy ef-
ficiency and conservation programs, and on-grid
and off-grid renewable energy systems.
(b) Investigations and reports
The Secretary may make, or cause to be made,
studies, investigations, and reports regarding
matters, including financial, technological, and
regulatory matters, affecting the condition and
progress of electric, telecommunications, and
economic development in rural areas, and pub-
lish and disseminate information with respect to
the matters.
(c) Technical assistance
Not later than 180 days after December 20,
2018, the Secretary shall enter into a memo-
randum of understanding with the Secretary of
Energy under which the Secretary of Energy
shall provide technical assistance to the Rural
Utilities Service on loans to be made under sub-
section (a) of this section and section 904(a) of
this title.
(May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title I, § 2, 49 Stat. 1363;
Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 776, §§ 2, 3, 63 Stat. 948; Pub. L.
103–129, § 2(c)(1), Nov. 1, 1993, 107 Stat. 1363; Pub.
L. 103–354, title II, § 235(a)(2), (13), Oct. 13, 1994,
108 Stat. 3220, 3221; Pub. L. 104–127, title VII,
§ 771, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1149; Pub. L. 110–234,
title VI, § 6101, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1195