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The USA Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $167.7 million to the eighth cohort of a grant meant to secure power transmission systems from natural disasters, including 20 tribal nations and 11 states.
Two territories round up the latest group of awardees for the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants, a five-year program allotted $2.3 billion for improving the reliability of electricity grids against disruptions such as extreme weather and wildfires. More than $748 million have now been awarded from the fund to 48 states, 49 tribal entities and three territories, “providing clean electricity, decreasing energy costs, and keeping the lights on for millions of Americans across the country”, the DOE said in a press release Thursday.
Projects that have been selected for the grants focus on upgrading grid infrastructure and maintaining a skilled workforce.
Florida has bagged the biggest amount in the latest rollout at $30,375,083. “Florida will strengthen labor standards and protections for the workforce that is responsible for implementing grid reliability and resilience projects”, the announcement said. “Funds will also be used to reduce the energy burden and costs that customers in disadvantaged communities experience due to inadequate electric grid infrastructure”.
Georgia has been earmarked $17,336,845, which the state will distribute for projects aimed at “grid infrastructure modernization and ensuring that benefits from these funds are distributed equitably, particularly to communities that are more susceptible to electric power outages”, as stated in a factsheet on the DOE website. Georgia’s allotment would also be used to “strengthen and increase the workforce within Georgia that is responsible for grid reliability and resilience”, the factsheet said.
Colorado has the third highest allocation in the latest tranche, while the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have been earmarked the biggest amount among the tribal recipients at $4,311,793.
The two territories named among the latest cohort are the American Samoa and the USA Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands Energy Office has been awarded $2,142,136 to “implement sustainable solutions by developing a skilled workforce within the Virgin Islands that is equipped to operate and maintain various grid modernization and resilience efforts”, the DOE said. “Funds will be used to increase energy resiliency closer to the point of demand through the increase in utility managed distributed energy resources in order to diversify methods of improving resiliency especially at the vulnerable ends of the distribution network”.
“Over the next five years, the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants will distribute a total of $2.3 billion to states, territories, and Tribes, including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations, 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 news release said. “The states, territories, and Tribes will then award these funds to eligible entities to complete a diverse set of projects, with priority given to efforts that generate the greatest community benefit while providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy”.
Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement, “A modern, reliable grid is a critical feature to expanding access and use of clean power sources”.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is providing states and Tribes with historic funding to prepare for a more resilient, clean energy future, one that delivers more local jobs and ensures that the lights stay on in the face of extreme weather events”, the country’s energy chief added. “Investing in America” is the umbrella name for policies adopted by the President Joe Biden administration to boost the USA’s self-sufficiency in critical sectors such as clean energy instead of relying on importation.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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