Biden administration seeks public input on $2.3B program to empower U.S. electric grid
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) this week launched the process to create an approximately $2.3 billion program to modernize the American power grid against threatening weather and disasters induced by climate change — and is actively seeking public input.
The new program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be administered by DOE’s Building a Better Grid Initiative. It will use its funding to assist states and Tribal nations with clean and reliable energy projects to help the nation achieve fully clean electricity by 2035. According to the DOE, this should also help in the face of increased natural volatility — power outages from severe weather have doubled over the past 20 years, and both the frequency and length of power failures are at their highest points since reliability tracking began.
“There is no question that a modernized grid is the linchpin to President Biden’s goal of a nation powered by reliable, renewable clean energy,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grid investments will help provide the American people with resilient electricity generation regardless of a lightning strike or an extreme weather event.”
Some efforts that could be included in in this grid modernization program include:
- Utility pole preservation and vegetation management;
- Undergrounding electric equipment;
- Relocating or reconductoring powerlines;
- Weather resistance improvements;
- More fire resistance components;
- Greater monitoring, controls and advances monitoring to improve situational awareness; and
- Integration of distributed energy resources such as microgrids and energy storage.
Grants would be provided to localities accordingly, based on a formulaic evaluation of their population size, land area, likelihood of disruptive events, historical spending on mitigation efforts in the region and more. Applicants would need to describe what they seek from funding and commit to specific progress metrics, along with metrics for workforce engagement, labor standards and job creation.
Before all this comes to pass, though, the Biden administration seeks feedback from both states and Tribal nations to inform how the DOE has structured its formula grants. Any comment must be received by June 27.
