The US has issued $72 million (£48m) for six energy projects in rural areas of the country.

Three of the projects are solar, where $30 million (£20m) of the funding will be spent. They will generate 30MW of power in total for local communities in North Carolina.

Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack said: “These solar projects represent an ongoing commitment from rural electric co-operatives to increase the diversity of their fuel sources with a focus on renewable energy.”

The other projects include the building and improvement of 381 miles of transmission and distribution line, which will use $42 million (£28m) of the funding.

Since 2009, USDA’s Rural Utilities Service has provided $1.1 billion for 18 renewable projects.