New loans announced Thursday by the Department of agriculture will help improve rural electric services.

USDA says approximately 450,000 residents and commercial customers will benefit from the loans on projects approved in 17 states.

Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley made the announcement of the loans, valued at $858 million.

Baxley says the investment “creates jobs and helps deliver services such as education, training and health care to build stronger rural communities.”

Carroll Electric Cooperative of Arkansas and Missouri received the largest loan, valued at $263 million for nearly 1,000 miles of electric line improvements and smart grid technologies.

Meanwhile, a $94 million loan for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Generation in Arizona and Utah will use part of the funds to build a 55.1-megawatt solar facility.

Other funded projects for electric cooperatives are located in the Carolina’s, Kentucky, The Dakota’s and Minnesota, along with Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, along with Texas.