Since the passage of the $1 trillion infrastructure package, many federal agencies have started working to roll out these large investments and funding opportunities. This process will take many more months. However, funding announcements have already started for energy programs and large transportation capital projects. The state of Maryland is expected to receive $284,000,000,000 over the next five fiscal years. Much of this funding will be going to roads, bridges, and railways. On top of that there is a significant amount of funding for rural broadband, cybersecurity, and electric grid investments. Gov. Larry Hogan, through executive order, established a subcabinet on infrastructure with the sole purpose of administering funds and advising on the implementation of these funding programs. 
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has been advocating on behalf of the electric cooperative community, in the halls of Congress, and to the numerous federal agencies tasked with providing these grant applications and funding programs. Through a series of online platforms, and weekly information from our federal delegation offices, Choptank Electric Cooperative continues to look at various ways these funds can improve the quality of life for members here on the Eastern Shore. This historic amount of funding mirrors the very same investment Congress passed in 1936 with the Rural Electrification Act.  The passage of this infrastructure package shows that bipartisanship exists on Capitol Hill when the time comes to invest in aging infrastructure and new technology.
Through good communication and advocacy, electric cooperatives and their members can benefit from this type of investment once again.