Future Grid Challenge puts $15M up for New York grid modernization efforts

The first round of funding has opened for the $15 million Future Grid Challenge, which seeks participants to solve the technical challenges facing the integration of renewable energy resources into the New York electric grid.

Up to $3 million will be made available for each challenge area, which will be divided into two rounds. In this first round, up to $6 million is available to those that partner with Con Edison and Orange & Rockland utilities to support the development of technical solutions. The funding was announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week, in conjunction with the state’s ongoing efforts at a Green New Deal. Those plans include a 70 percent renewable electricity standard by 2030 and a fully carbon-free grid by 2040.

“New York is leading the fight against climate change and prioritizing more resiliency and reliability during extreme weather events,” Cuomo said. “These investments will add renewables such as wind and solar to create a grid of the future that serves the needs of communities across the state and drives us toward a clean, fully carbon-free power grid.”

Both grid technology companies and research institutions are eligible for funding. In the first round, the challenges they choose to address should focus on either helping Con Ed advance Distributed Energy Resource monitoring, control, data analytics, and forecasting, or assist Orange and Rockland with improving smart inverter functionality to further integration of distributed resources, improve grid stability, and reduce system losses. Efforts will be overseen by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority.

Proposals are due by Oct. 9, 2019.