To share how historic levels of federal and private investment are positively impacting communities across the country, this monthly newsletter showcases grid projects that have successfully completed award negotiations and are beginning work.
January 13, 2025
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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 monthly newsletter showcases grid projects that have successfully completed award negotiations and are beginning work.
This month’s roundup of finalized awards includes projects from:
Highlighted Projects
INNOVATIVE TRANSMISSION FINANCING
Program: Transmission Facilitation Program
Recipient: Southern Spirit Transmission, LLC
Federal Funding: up to $360 million capacity contract
Southern Spirit Transmission will construct a new 320-mile, 525 kV High-Voltage Direct-Current (HVDC) line to create substantial new transmission capacity between the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid and electric grids in the Southeastern United States. The line will provide 3,000 MW of bidirectional capacity between Rusk County, Texas to Choctaw County, Mississippi. This major expansion of capacity between Texas and the Southeast will expand access to diverse resources and improve grid resilience in high demand and extreme weather events, benefiting ratepayers in both regions.
View the full list of Transmission Facilitation Program projects.
GRID ENHANCING TECHNOLOGIES TO INCREASE ENERGY ACCESS
Program: GRIP: Grid Innovation Program
Recipient: California Clean Energy Commission (CEC)
Federal Funding: $600,561,319
The California Harnessing Advanced Reliable Grid Enhancing Technologies for Transmission (CHARGE 2T) project is a public-private partnership that will drive large-scale expansion to transmission capacity and improvements to interconnection process to increase and accelerate equitable access to renewable energy across California. CHARGE 2T will reconductor more than 100 miles of transmission lines with advanced conductor technologies and deploy dynamic line ratings (DLR) to quickly and significantly increase the state’s system capacity to integrate more renewable energy onto the grid. CHARGE 2T also supports transmission interconnection reform through process improvements, an interconnection portal, workforce investment, and educational resource development.
INCREASING EFFICIENCY AT HYDROELECTRIC PLANTS
Program: Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives
Recipient: Kern and Tule Hydro LLC
Federal Funding: $164,000
Kern Canyon Hydroelectric, Kern and Tule Hydro LLC, Bakersfield, California, will replace the existing Francis water wheel with a new higher efficiency turbine runner that operates especially well at low flows. The facility began operating in 1921 and is located on the Kern River in Bakersfield, California.
View the full list of Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentive selections.
List of Projects
The following projects completed award negotiations before December 16, 2024. To learn more about past projects, read the previous newsletters.
GRID RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | $15,594,518 | $31,189,036 | Smart Grid Grants |
| California Energy Commission | $630,561,319 | $1,531,403,297 | Grid Innovation Program |
| Delaware County Electric Cooperative | $27,681,725 | $36,908,967 | Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants |
| Generac Power Systems | $49,445,046 | $101,304,290 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Georgia Power Company | $160,296,888 | $320,593,776 | Smart Grid Grants |
| Montana Department of Commerce | $700,000,000 | $3,599,540,962 | Grid Innovation 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.
| Awardee | Subrecipient | Federal Funding | Total Project Cost | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Energy Authority | Four Railbelt Utilities - GVEA, CEA, MEA and HEA | $1,650,917 | $2,201,223 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Alaska Energy Authority | Golden Valley Electric Association | $8,932,137 | $11,909,516 | Utility Pole Management |
| Chalkyitsik Village | Chalkyitsik Electric Utility | $73,500 | $103,500 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Colorado Energy Office | San Miguel Power Association | $2,543,821 | $3,391,761 | Battery-Storage Components: Use or Construction of DERs for Enhancing System Adaptive Capacity During Disruptive Events |
| Colorado Energy Office | San Miguel Power Association | $1,414,050 | $1,885,400 | Microgrids |
| Executive Office of the State of Idaho | City of Idaho Falls dba Idaho Falls Power | $1,300,000 | $2,000,000 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Executive Office of the State of Idaho | Northern Lights, Inc. | $1,543,542 | $2,062,656 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Iowa Economic Development Authority | Prairie Energy Cooperative | $1,326,156 | $1,967,220 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy | Chimney Rock Public Power District | $457,353 | $708,721 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy | Nebraska City Utilities | $1,419,708 | $2,200,000 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy | Village of Ansley | $1,097,047 | $1,702,050 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy | City of Fremont | $1,914,455 | $4,986,762 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | City of Gastonia | $679,000 | $970,000 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality | Four County Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) | $2,900,850 | $5,860,544 | Weatherization Technologies and Equipment |
| North Dakota Industrial Commission | McKenzie Electric Cooperative | $2,843,075 | $7,396,472 | Adaptive Protection Technologies |
| Oregon Department of Energy | City of Drain | $302,291 | $403,055 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Oregon Department of Energy | City of Forest Grove | $438,190 | $584,254 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative | $708,361 | $944,481 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Columbia Power Cooperative Association | $1,329,329 | $1,772,439 | Utility Pole Management |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Columbia River People's Utility District | $375,499 | $500,666 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative | $1,117,761 | $1,490,348 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| Oregon Department of Energy | Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative | $392,366 | $523,155 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| Oregon Department of Energy | PacifiCorp | $4,101,365 | $9,067,403 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| Organized Village of Kake | Inside Passage Electric Cooperative | $166,517 | $247,000 | Battery-Storage Components: Use or Construction of DERs for Enhancing System Adaptive Capacity During Disruptive Events |
| State of Wisconsin | Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative | $649,500 | $974,250 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| State of Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative - Wittenberg | $887,667 | $1,523,435 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| State of Wisconsin | Clark Electric Cooperative | $593,020 | $889,530 | Undergrounding of Electrical Equipment |
| State of Wisconsin | East Central Energy | $757,680 | $1,224,822 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| State of Wisconsin | Eau Claire Energy Cooperative - Line Reconstruction | $665,605 | $998,408 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
| State of Wisconsin | Oakdale Electric Cooperative | $266,360 | $407,562 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| State of Wisconsin | Reedsburg Utility Commission - Breakers | $110,800 | $277,000 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| State of Wisconsin | Reedsburg Utility Commission - Transmission | $536,500 | $1,073,000 | Monitoring and Control Technologies |
| Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana | Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana | $701,214 | $1,518,700 | Other |
| Utah Office of Energy Development | Price City Municipal Corporation | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | Hardening of Power Lines, Facilities, Substations, or Other Systems |
HYDROELECTRIC EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT INCENTIVES
The Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives is a $75 million investment focused on increasing efficiency by funding qualified capital improvements that improve an existing hydroelectric facility’s efficiency by at least 3%.
| Applicant/Selectee | Project Title | Finalized Federal Award | Primary State of Facility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Blvd Hydropower | Colton Trashrack Upgrade | $1,184,430 | New York |
| Kern And Tule Hydro, LLC. | Kern Canon Hydroelectric | $163,704 | California |
| Marsh Valley Development, Inc. | Marsh Valley Hydroelectric Facility | $57,720 | Idaho |
STANDARDIZATION FOR INTERREGIONAL OFFSHORE WIND TRANSMISSION
Managed in collaboration with ConnectWerx, the “Standardization for Interregional Offshore Wind Transmission” opportunity funds a research consortium of technical experts that identifies standardized offshore transmission equipment specifications to support coordinated procurement in the United States, with specific focus on the Atlantic Coast. The consortium will develop best practices and provide guidance on near-term state offshore solicitations and potential shared transmission solutions to promote interconnection and interoperability.
| Awardee | Project Title | Finalized Federal Award |
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University and DNV Power System Advisory | The Planning Offshore Interregional Network Standardization (“POINTS”) Consortium | $1,250,000 |
TRANSMISSION FACILITATION PROGRAM
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 | Project Location | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook Renewable Project | Up to $425,000,000 | Maine | Capacity contract |
| Cimarron Link | Up to $306,000,000 | Oklahoma | Capacity contract |
| Southern Spirit Transmission | Up to $360,000,000 | Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi | Capacity contract |
| Southline | Up to $352,000,000 | New Mexico | Capacity contract |