$7.3 billion for rural energy and other takeaways from Joe Biden's Wisconsin visit

WESTBY – President Joe Biden rallied his supporters in a visit to western Wisconsin on Thursday and announced a $7.3 billion plan to invest in electrification and clean energy infrastructure in rural areas across the country.

Biden spoke in Westby, about 30 minutes from La Crosse, at an outdoor event that seemed tame in comparison to recent rallies held by the Harris-Walz campaign in Wisconsin.

The announcement in western Wisconsin came as Democrats have struggled with voters in rural areas in federal elections. Here are the highlights from Biden's visit.

Energy investment at the center of Biden's visit

Biden announced the first investment of the New ERA program, which will provide $573 million for the Dairyland Power Cooperative in the La Crosse area. About $102 million of that amount will come in the form of loans, while $471 million is a grant for the company. In total, the investment will provide $7.3 billion in investments in rural areas in 23 states.

The cooperative will use the money to buy energy from four newly built solar and four newly built wind projects. The investment will not involve nuclear energy, officials said.

"This is the most significant, transformative investment in electricity and electrification and clean energy for rural America since FDR's New Deal nearly 90 years ago," he said. "That includes Dairyland Power Cooperative that will receive $580 million to develop and purchase solar power, wind power, energy storage, right here in Wisconsin."

He said investments have been the most significant for rural America, creating new and better markets and new income streams.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said farmers are being rewarded for their climate-smart practices and, in turn, receiving higher returns for their work. The energy investments will largely benefit rural areas of Wisconsin, something that will in turn help farmers and producers, he said.

"Now this is good news. This is good news for Wisconsin. It's good news for rural America and it's good for all of America," Vilsack said. "Because when farmers do well, rural America does well, and when rural America does well, all of America does well."

Why did Biden choose to make his announcement in Westby?

Biden chose to place his visit in Westby three years after speaking in La Crosse about energy investments because of the location of Dairyland Power Cooperative, senior administration officials said in a call before the visit.

Dairyland was chosen to receive the clean energy grant so it could gain access to new solar and wind projects, helping to provide reliable sources of energy for their customers.

Dairyland Power Cooperative estimates that electric rates for their members will be 42% lower over 10 years than they would have been without the New ERA funding.

"The reality is the savings to our members will be more than $130 million," said Brent Ridge, president and CEO of Dairyland.

The project will deliver power to about 240,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by 70%, according to the cooperative. The total investment, offset by the grant, will be around $3 billion.

Construction of the solar and wind sites could begin in the next six months, although locations have not been finalized, Ridge said.

Thursday marks Biden's first visit to Wisconsin since dropping out of the presidential race

Since dropping out of the presidential race six weeks ago, Biden has mostly laid low, avoiding official events aside from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month.

During his visit, Biden moved slowly and spoke quietly. But he managed to rally his supporters, making a joke about how the first time he visited Wisconsin was "about 180 years ago, when I was a 31-year-old senator."

Biden takes a hit at Trump's Foxconn flub

During his speech, Biden didn't hesitate to criticize former President Trump, who will appear in Wisconsin for a rally on Saturday, hitting him on the beleaguered Foxconn development in Racine County.

"Let's remember my predecessor promised you that he would redevelop the Foxconn factory in Racine," he said. "Been there lately? He didn't do a damn thing. Nothing."

More: Fact check: Biden hits and misses with Trump and Foxconn claims

Biden addressed a deadly Georgia school shooting

Beginning his speech, Biden addressed the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, saying that back to school should be a joyous time, not a time to see a community "shattered."

He urged action on gun control.

"As a nation, we cannot continue to accept the carnage of gun violence," he said. "As a gun owner, I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. "We need more than thoughts and prayers."

Referring to the 14-year-old suspect's use of an AR-style rifle, Biden said there was no need for domestic use of assault rifles, especially where they can be accessed by children.

"I don't know a whole hell of a lot of deer wearing Kevlar vests. I'm serious about this," he said.

Common sense gun control, ending legal immunity for gun manufacturers and ensuring guns in homes are properly locked up could help drop the number of school shootings rocking the country, he said.

"If we do the things we're talking about we can prevent communities from being ripped apart again," he said.

This was not considered a campaign visit, but instead an official visit from the White House

Biden wasn't in Wisconsin as a surrogate for the Harris campaign, but instead to tout the achievements he and Harris made during their years in the White House.

Biden tactfully avoided speaking about the campaign at the event.

Republicans dub visit 'the comeback tour that no one wanted'

“Joe Biden’s return to Wisconsin is the comeback tour that no one wanted," Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement. "For four years, the Biden-Harris administration delivered nothing but runaway inflation and mayhem at the southern border.

"To make matters worse, Kamala Harris and White House officials deliberately misled the public about Biden’s rapid decline and inability to serve. This visit is not a celebration, but a somber reminder that a vote for Harris and Tim Walz this November is a vote for another four years of Joe Biden."

Jacob Fischer, spokesman for Trump's Wisconsin campaign, accused Harris of "running away" from her record as vice president in the Biden administration, "offering Wisconsin voters almost no new policy proposals that would differentiate herself from the Harris-Biden administration’s record of failure and incompetence."

"Joe's trip to Wisconsin is another sickening reminder to every Wisconsinite that a Kamala presidency would be another four years of historic inflation and high prices. Despite Kamala and Joe's best efforts, Wisconsin voters know that only President Donald J. Trump offers the commonsense solutions that will Make America Affordable Again," Fischer said in a statement.

Gov. Tony Evers highlighted investments in PFAS, energy

Speaking in the minutes before Biden took the stage, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers credited Biden-Harris policies for helping Wisconsin tackle environmental problems and move toward a clean energy economy.

"Make no mistake, this work is happening in communities of all shapes and sizes and industries across America, thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris, and it's happening all around us, right here in Wisconsin," he said.

He said the administration had taken strides in regulating PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," and provided funding through the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities like French Island, in the Town of Campbell outside of La Crosse.

"I know that hits home right here in the Driftless area right down the road. Folks at Campbell and French Island have been relying on jugs and bottles of water for years due to water contaminants," he said. "But let me be clear here, President Biden and Vice President Harris aren't just solving problems of the past. They're actually helping us build a brighter future on their end."

He also highlighted the clean energy investments for Wisconsin, saying they are helping to "jump start Wisconsin's transition to a robust, clean energy economy."

Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected] and on X at @SchulteLaura.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Takeaways from Joe Biden's visit to western Wisconsin