In early August, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $2.2 billion investment in the nation’s grid for eight projects across 18 states to protect against growing threats of extreme weather events, lower costs for communities, and catalyze additional grid capacity to meet load growth stemming from an increase in manufacturing and data centers.

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s “Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program,” the projects selected will catalyze nearly $10 billion in total public and private investment to bring reliable, affordable, clean energy to the nation.

This deployment of new, innovative transmission infrastructure and technology upgrades to the existing grid will add nearly 13 gigawatts (GW) of grid capacity, including 4,800 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind, allowing more clean power to reach customers across the country. These projects will also upgrade more than 1,000 miles of transmission in total.

“The first half of 2024 has already broken records for the hottest days in Earth’s history, and as extreme weather continues to hit every part of the country, we must act with urgency to strengthen our aging grid to protect American communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“As we build out the nation’s power grid to keep pace with historic manufacturing and clean energy growth, we are doing so by harnessing innovative technologies to lower energy costs, create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, and take on the climate crisis,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “The investments we are making today will enhance the strength and resilience of our grid, especially in the face of more climate-fueled extreme weather events like wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat.”

Part of DOE’s “Building a Better Grid Initiative” and authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the GRIP Program funding represents the federal government’s single largest direct investment into critical grid infrastructure. These selections are made through “Grid Innovation Program” grants, one of three GRIP funding mechanisms, that seek to deploy projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability. Selected projects will leverage:

1 – Innovative transmission infrastructure to improve grid resilience and reliability and integrate more clean energy to the grid.

Two projects will deploy large new transmission lines: Clean Path New York (New York Power Authority) and North Plains Connector (Montana Department of Commerce). The two lines, totaling about 625 miles, will increase grid capacity by about 4,300 MW by deploying high voltage, direct current (HVDC) technology, among other things.

Clean Path New York will deploy HVDC cables underground and underwater to minimize right-of-way impacts that can be associated with large-scale transmission projects.

The North Plains Connector project, headed by the Montana Department of Commerce in partnership with the North Dakota Transmission Authority, will increase interregional transfer capacity and provide instantaneous change of direction in electricity flows to support the eastern or western grid when required, improving resilience and reliability. The project will also enable the development of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s wind resources.

2 – Advanced technology upgrades to deploy innovative grid technologies, including advanced conductors, dynamic line ratings, microgrids, and advanced distribution management systems to increase grid capacity using existing rights of way.

Six projects will implement innovative technologies on the existing electric grid, increasing grid capacity and transforming grid operations.

Three projects will deploy advanced conductors at scale to upgrade about 400 miles of existing transmission lines.

Three projects will deploy dynamic line rating, a grid-enhancing technology that can increase system utilization by enabling transmission lines to increase power flow while still operating safely.

3 – Federal, interstate, and private sector collaboration to demonstrate innovative collaborations and partnerships, particularly across states and with the private sector.

The RELIEF project (headed by the Utah Office of Energy Development in collaboration with the states of Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming, as well as the California Independent System Operator) will address system contingency issues and prevent over 5,500 hours of potential outages for 700,000 utility customers in five states.

The Power Up New England project, headed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, is a collaboration with the states of Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The project will reduce wholesale energy supply costs for New England customers by about $1.55 billion and create new offshore wind interconnections in Massachusetts and in Connecticut.

In addition to the Grid Innovation Program, the GRIP Program includes two additional funding mechanisms:

– “Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants” provide grants to the private sector to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other disruptive events that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, with a focus on grid hardening efforts.

– “Smart Grid Grants” fund technology investments that will increase how much power the grid can handle; prevent faults that may lead to wildfires or other system disturbances; integrate more renewable energy; and facilitate the integration of electrified vehicles, buildings, and other devices.

The second round of selections for GRIP’s the Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants and the Smart Grid Grants will be announced later this year.