$10 B programme for US grid upgrades launched
USA, Washington, D.C.: The US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking input on a $10.5 B programme for smart grids and other electricity grid upgrades.
Image source: Smart Energy International
USA, Washington, D.C.: The US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking input on a $10.5 B programme for smart grids and other electricity grid upgrades.
The funding, the largest single investment into the grid in over a decade forms part of the ‘Building a Better Grid’ initiative to upgrade the grid for a 100 % clean energy future.
The funding, previously announced and now combined in the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership programme, is allocated in three parts – $2.5 B for grid resilience, $3 B for smart grids and $5 B for grid innovation.
The grid resilience funding will be in the form of grants to support activities to modernise the grid to reduce the impacts due to extreme weather and natural disasters.
The smart grid grants are aimed to increase the flexibility, efficiency and reliability of the electricity system, with particular focus on increasing the capacity of the transmission system, preventing faults that may lead to system disturbances, integrating renewable energy and facilitating the integration of increasing electric vehicles, buildings and other grid edge devices.
The grid innovation programme is planned to provide assistance for the deployment of projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability.
“DOE is moving quickly to upgrade the nation’s power grid in order to provide American households with more reliable and affordable electricity that comes from a more diverse set of clean energy sources,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
The ‘Building a Better Grid’ initiative was launched in January as part of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of November 2021 with the promise of over $20 B in funding focussed primarily on upgrading and expanding the US transmission system.
Source: Smart Energy International
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