Input Stories

The Department of Energy is putting another $2.2 billion toward shoring up the U.S. electrical grid (E&E News).

What’s going on: The DOE “on Tuesday awarded $2.2 billion to eight electric transmission and microgrid projects across 18 states, aiming to move more electricity and strengthen the grid against extreme weather.”

• The money, made available through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is the second round of funding in the department’s Grid Resilience program.
• In combination with the $3.5 billion given last October to 58 grid-fortifying projects across 44 states, the grants will add 50,000 megawatts of capacity and 1,000 miles of transmission lines across the country.

Why it’s important: “Although DOE has helped push long-stalled wires projects to completion, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved new rules to open grid development bottlenecks, the pace of big wires projects has slowed dramatically.”

• In 2016, a total of 1,048 miles of new high-voltage lines were built in the U.S. In 2023, that number dropped to 55.5.

Where it’s going: This round of funding will go toward a combination of long-distance, interregional power projects, advanced grid technologies, offshore wind development and more, including:

• About $700 million for the North Plains Connector project, “a high-voltage direct-current power line that creates the first large-scale grid connection between the Eastern and Western interconnections”;
• Some $600 million for the California Energy Commission’s CHARGE wires project, which seeks to replace 100 miles of old high-voltage wires with stronger advanced transmission cables; and
• Approximately $389 million to Power Up New England to bolster storage capacity and connection points for offshore wind power in six states. 

Our take: The NAM has long advocated for permitting reform and continues to be a vocal proponent.

• “The U.S. electrical grid needs strengthening to ensure affordable, reliable and plentiful energy,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin.
• “But the project slowdown in recent years points to an even bigger problem: regulatory bottlenecks keeping projects from getting online and fortifying the grid. We need sensible, workable permitting reform.”