To share how historic levels of federal and private investment are positively impacting communities across the country, this new monthly newsletter from GDO showcases grid projects that have successfully completed award negotiations and are beginning work.
August 29, 2024
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Updates on Finalized GDO Project Awards
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made a historic investment to expand and modernize this country’s critical electric infrastructure, and in 2022 the Inflation Reduction Act added to that investment. Since then, the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) has been rolling out innovative programs and funding mechanisms rooted in meaningful stakeholder and community engagement to drive widespread infrastructure improvements, accelerating access to clean, affordable energy, good-paying jobs, and economic benefits to communities across the country.
To share how historic levels of federal and private investment are positively impacting communities across the country, this new monthly newsletter from GDO showcases grid projects that have successfully completed award negotiations and are beginning work. Each month will contain representative examples of work underway.
This month’s roundup of finalized awards includes projects from:
Highlighted Program
Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants
The Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program is designed to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis.
The program distributes funding to states, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes, including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations, over five years based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts. The states, territories, and tribes then award these funds to a diverse set of projects, with priority given to efforts that generate the greatest community benefit providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
*Tribal count does not reflect individual member tribes that are part of a consortium.
Highlighted Projects
Microgrids
Program: Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants
Recipient: Colorado Energy Office
Subrecipient: Poudre Valley Rural Electric
Federal funding: $896,175
Total project cost: $1,194,900
Grid resilience is a key concern for Livermore, Colorado, which frequently serves as a hub for nearby rural communities during extreme weather like wildfires and blizzards. Limited distribution system redundancy also makes the town vulnerable to prolonged outages during extreme weather. With an almost $900,000 Grid Resilience grant provided to the Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office, Poudre Valley Rural Electric is installing a microgrid controller and a 65kW/300kWh battery system. The microgrid system will supplement an existing solar photovoltaic system and provide 40 hours of uninterrupted backup power to the town. It will help maintain power at Livermore’s critical facilities, which include a general store, fire department, and local elementary school. The project will also serve the Colorado Department of Transportation facility in Livermore, which will support keeping the highway open during extreme weather.
View full list of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant awards
Vegetation and Fuel-Load Management
Program: Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants
Recipient: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
Subrecipient: Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Corporation (CEA)
Federal funding: $273,200
Total project cost: $472,588
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is working with Alger Delta on the Kiva Line Rebuild Project. This project will rebuild more than two miles of distribution line and remove trees as part of a vegetation management strategy. The project is located between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, an area that experiences frequent storms that cause outages. This work will harden the electrical system and mitigate risks from severe weather, including decreasing the likelihood of outages.
View full list of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant awards
Grid Hardening
Program: Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants
Recipient: South Carolina (Santee Cooper)
Subrecipient: 12 subrecipients
Federal funding: $10,766,899
Total project cost: $15,096,816
On behalf of South Carolina, Santee Cooper is using $10.7 million in Grid Resilience Formula Grants to support 12 subrecipients in their efforts to harden the grid against extreme weather. Projects include: (a) installation of automated and remote-controlled devices that provide greater visibility into, and control of, the electric grid during outage conditions; and (b) physical upgrades to distribution system equipment (e.g., reconductoring, undergrounding, and pole enhancements/replacements). The funding will accelerate or enhance existing utility grid resilience investment plans and enable investment on parts of the system that would otherwise be deferred.
View full list of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant awards
Interregional Connection
Program: GRIP: Smart Grid Grants
Recipient: Alaska Energy Authority
Federal funding: $206,500,000
Total project cost: $413,000,000
The Railbelt Innovative Resiliency (RIR) Project is a unique partnership between the State of Alaska, four Railbelt Regional Electric Cooperatives, a Railbelt municipal utility, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, and local labor unions. The project will incentivize crucial transmission investment through innovative rate-making techniques, and it will have a direct benefit for tribal and disadvantaged communities within the Railbelt and rural Power Cost Equalization communities by building a resilient, clean, smart, and affordable electrical grid in Alaska. The primary objective of the RIR Project is to address several system stability challenges facing the electrical grid in the three Railbelt regions of Alaska. The project will incorporate battery energy storage systems and a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable installed in a challenging marine environment to address the need for increased transfer capacity and advanced system regulation management technologies.
List of Projects
The following projects completed award negotiations this summer.
The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program is a $10.5 billion investment into critical grid infrastructure, to deliver affordable, clean energy to American communities, prepare for extreme weather impacts from climate change, and meet energy goals. The GRIP Program includes three funding mechanisms: Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants, Smart Grid Grants, and the Grid Innovation Program.
| Applicant/Selectee | Finalized Federal Award | Total Project Cost | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Energy Authority | $206,500,000 | $413,000,000 | Grid Innovation Program |
| Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corporation | $18,304,363 | $36,615,188 | Smart Grid Grants |
| City of Naperville | $1,116,174 | $2,232,348 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon | $250,000,000 | $363,953,472 | Grid Innovation Program |
| CPS Energy | $30,200,000 | $60,400,000 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Hawaiian Electric Company Inc. | $95,313,716 | $190,627,434 | Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants |
| National Grid USA Service Company, Inc. | $49,642,758 | $139,013,758 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Pecan Street Inc. | $7,989,987 | $15,979,974 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TCE) | $4,665,803 | $6,998,706 | Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants |
The Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program is designed to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other natural disasters that are exacerbated by the climate crisis.
| Awardee | Subrecipient | Federal Funding | Total project cost | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalkyitsik Village | Chalkyitsik Electric Utility | $73,500 | $97,998 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Chilkat Indian Village-Klukwan | Inside Passage Electric Cooperative | $93,231 | $141,844 | Vegetation and Fuel-Load Management |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | City of Wray | $58,362 | $77,816 | Advanced Modeling Technologies |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Empire Electric Association, Inc. | $456,906 | $726,176 | Fire-resistant Technologies and Fire Prevention Systems |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Empire Electric Association, Inc. | $298,769 | $398,359 | Advanced Modeling Technologies |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. | $347,767 | $463,690 | Utility Pole Management |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. | $739,940 | $986,587 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Platte River Power Authority | $350,000 | $700,000 | Battery Storage |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Poudre Valley Rural Electric Assocation | $896,175 | $1,194,900 | Microgrids |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | San Miguel Power Association | $83,750 | $125,000 | Microgrids |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | Tri State Generation and Transmission Association | $195,000 | $390,000 | Advanced Modeling Technologies |
| Colorado Energy Office / Colorado Resiliency Office | United Power, Inc. | $623,287 | $934,206 | Other |
| Cook Inlet Region, Inc. | Fire Island Wind, LLC | $116,056 | $172,150 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Cook Inlet Region, Inc. | Fire Island Wind, LLC | $117,843 | $174,800 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Governor's Authorized Representative (COR3) | Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) [with funds managed and administered by their sub LUMA Energy ServCo, LLC] | $3,536,471 | $8,068,157 | Battery Storage |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | Ark Valley Electric Corporation | $487,079 | $723,500 | Replacement of Old Overhead Conductors & Underground Cables |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | Blue Mound | $270,071 | $445,674 | Replacement of Old Overhead Conductors & Underground Cables |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | City of Anthony | $271,368 | $626,049 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | City of Garden City | $626,049 | $928,639 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | City of Pratt | $2,140,449 | $3,175,000 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. | $414,627 | $615,030 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | Holton Electric | $1,647,640 | $2,444,000 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Kansas Corporation Commission | Victory Electric Cooperative Association | $1,480,129 | $2,195,524 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians | Jump River Electric Cooperative | $102,179 | $177,268 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians | Jump River Electric Cooperative | $111,001 | $170,365 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | Alger Delta CEA | $273,200 | $472,588 | Vegetation and Fuel-Load Management |
| Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | Alpena Power Company | $234,323 | $349,922 | Vegetation and Fuel-Load Management |
| Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | City of Crystal Falls | $197,068 | $300,000 | Power Line Reconductoring |
| Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | City of Sturgis Electric | $126,600 | $379,800 | Vegetation and Fuel-Load Management |
| Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy | Thumb Electric Cooperative | $372,181 | $744,362 | Fire-resistant Technologies and Fire Prevention Systems |
| Muscogee Creek Nation | Muscogee Creek Nation Tribal Utility Authority | $132,889 | $177,328 | Utility Pole Management |
| Native Village of Deering | Ipnatchiaqec Electric Company | $160,000 | $235,000 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Native Village of Ruby | City of Ruby | $70,000 | $93,331 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| North Dakota Industrial Commission | Northern Plains Electric Cooperative | $601,445 | $902,168 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians | Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. | $193,908 | $258,538 | Fire-resistant Technologies and Fire Prevention Systems |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Berkeley Electric Cooperative | $982,228 | $1,473,341 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Broad River Electric Cooperative | $183,964 | $274,964 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | City of Rock Hill | $71,470 | $106,670 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Coastal Electric Cooperative | $400,000 | $533,333 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Coastal Electric Cooperative | $796,000 | $1,061,333 | Replacement of Old Overhead Conductors |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Fairfield Electric Cooperative | $225,000 | $300,000 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Fairfield Electric Cooperative | $900,000 | $1,200,000 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Gaffney Board of Public Works | $417,605 | $623,290 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Horry Electric Cooperative | $779,823 | $1,169,676 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Laurens Commission of Public Works | $777,917 | $1,037,223 | Utility Pole Management |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Lockhart Power Company | $833,333 | $1,249,999 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Marlboro Pee Dee Electric Cooperative | $1,191,604 | $1,588,806 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | Palmetto Electric Cooperative | $1,946,000 | $2,594,667 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | York Electric Cooperative | $125,193 | $186,855 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | York Electric Cooperative | $152,664 | $227,856 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | York Electric Cooperative | $59,886 | $89,382 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority DBA Santee Cooper | York Electric Cooperative | $924,212 | $1,379,421 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| The Chickasaw Nation | People's Electric Cooperative | $814,425 | $1,085,900 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| The Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut | Mohegan Utility Authority | $317,284 | $423,045 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Manti City Power | $274,369 | $409,500 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Moon Lake Electric Association | $700,000 | $937,577 | Replacement of Old Overhead Conductors & Underground Cables |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Morgan City | $600,000 | $1,000,000 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | PacifiCorp | $5,730,504 | $13,840,388 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Raft River Electric Co-Op, Inc. | $107,901 | $161,046 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Washington City Power | $143,000 | $240,295 | Replacement of Old Overhead Conductors & Underground Cable |
The Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF) is a $1 billion fund that will invest in energy resilience solutions – like solar energy and battery storage – for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable households.
| Applicant/selectee | Finalized Federal Award | Total project cost | category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generac Power Systems | $200,000,000 | $210,526,316 | Third-Party Residential Deployment |
| Sunnova Energy Corporation | $199,875,850 | $210,433,100 | Third-Party Residential Deployment |
| Environmental Defense Fund | $6,000,000 | $6,315,789 | Community-Sponsored Residential Deployment |
| Hispanic Federation | $7,000,000 | $7,318,045 | Beneficiary Education, Training, and Consumer Protection |
| Institute for Building Tech & Safety | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 | Beneficiary Education, Training, and Consumer Protection |
| Let's Share the Sun | $5,000,000 | $5,260,500 | Community-Sponsored Residential Deployment |
| Solar United Neighbors | $6,000,000 | $6,315,790 | Community-Sponsored Residential Deployment |
The Transmission Facilitation Program is a $2.5 billion innovative revolving fund program that will help overcome the financial hurdles facing development of new large-scale transmission lines, upgrades of existing transmission lines, and the connection of microgrids in Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. territories.
| Applicant/Selectee | Finalized Federal Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-Tie 500kV Transmission Line Project | $226,336,500 | Capacity contract |
| Southline Transmission Project | $477,000,000 | Capacity contract |