Using Electric Grants For Fiber
Finley Engineering has years of successful funding and grant application expertise. We facilitate client success for all sectors; Municipalities, Energy Providers, County Governments, Regional Planning Commission/COGS, Broadband Providers, and Public-Private Partnerships. Our customer-centric approach meets all of your technical needs in exploring, deploying, and managing broadband deployment expansion projects. Check back often for more information on the latest funds available.
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The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Reviewed:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes grant funding to rebuild electric grids. A smart community may be able to leverage these grants to also build some needed fiber.
Electric Network Funding
Infrastructure:
- $15B grants – Administered by the DOE
- $12B Low-cost loans
- Intended to be spent between 2022 and 2026
The following are some of the specific pots of funding coming available:
- $5 billion grant program aimed at grid hardening to protect the grid against extreme weather events.
- $3 billion Smart Grid Investing Matching Grant program, aimed at deploying technologies that enhance the flexibility of the electric grid.
- $2.5 billion split between a Transmission Facilities Fund and a Transmission Facilities Program, aimed at beefing up the major electric transmission routes (these are the electric grid version of middle-mile).
- $6 billion for grid reliability and resilience research and development. At least $1 billion of this must be spent on rural electric grid research. The purpose of this funding is to explore innovative programs that improve transmission, distribution, and storage projects.
- $500 million to State Energy Programs that allow states to better plan and coordinate transmission and distribution.
- $350 million to implement advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utilities.
- The legislation kicks off a federal process of better defining the interstate electric grid networks through a better definition of national interest electric corridors.
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Additional Funding
Build Back Better Act
- Allocated over ten years to improve electric grids.
- $24 billion in investment tax credits aimed at building at least 20 GW of high-voltage transmission lines.
- Includes a number of clean energy initiatives.
The new grant funding can be leveraged to extend fiber for communities.
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- $6 billion for grid reliability research
– Likely going to be used for pilot projects to try innovative new technologies like cutting-edge smart grid.
– Part of implementing these solutions means building fiber, and there is no reason that grant-funded fiber can’t also be used for other purposes like broadband.
– The municipal fiber network in Chattanooga, TN got a kick-start from a smart grid pilot project funded by the ARRA Stimulus grants in 2009. - $5 billion for hardening the grid against extreme weather. Used to rebuild vulnerable pole lines or to move critical electric routes underground. Any electric company tackling this ought to put in fiber at the same time.
- Transmission fund grants – upgrading or extending transmission lines is a good time to build fiber simultaneously.
- $6 billion for grid reliability research
Communities need to collaborate with many stakeholders to find the best broadband solution. This funding allows bringing local power utilities into the mix to fix broadband. Municipal electrics and rural electric coops are well poised to coordinate the use of this funding with other broadband efforts – and nothing will stop commercial power companies from joining in local efforts.
As seen in Douglas Dawson’s, CCG blog, Pots and Pans.
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Whitepapers:
- Best Practices for Public-Private Partnerships >>>
- GIS Can Help Lay the Foundation For an Effective Broadband Launch >>>
- The Year Fiber Became an Essential Service – 4 Reasons to Deploy FTTP Now >>>
Contact Tim Arbeiter, Director Broadband Consulting, for more information @ t.arbeiter@finleyusa.com.
There are many more billions of additional funding included in the Build Back Better Act that has passed in the House, but not yet the Senate. That bill would allocate many more billions over ten years to improve electric grids. The BBB Act also includes $24 billion in investment tax credits aimed at building at least 20 GW of high-voltage transmission lines. The BBB Act also includes a number of clean energy initiatives.
The new grant funding can be leveraged to extend fiber for a clever community.
- The $6 billion for grid reliability research is likely going to be used for pilot projects to try innovative new technologies like cutting-edge smart grid. Part of implementing these solutions means building fiber, and there is no reason that grant-funded fiber can’t also be used for other purposes like broadband. Many know about the awesome municipal fiber network in Chattanooga, Tennessee – but many might not know the network got a kick-start from a smart grid pilot project funded by the ARRA Stimulus grants in 2009.
- The $5 billion for hardening the grid against extreme weather is likely to be used to rebuild vulnerable pole lines or to move critical electric routes underground. Again, any electric company tackling this ought to put in fiber at the same time.
- The same is true for the transmission fund grants – upgrading or extending transmission lines is another good time to build fiber simultaneously.
Communities need to collaborate with many stakeholders to find the best broadband solution. This funding allows bringing local power utilities into the mix to fix broadband. Municipal electrics and rural electric coops are well poised to coordinate the use of this funding with other broadband efforts – and nothing will stop commercial power companies from joining in local efforts.
Review Finley’s Whitepaper: Ensuring success in a changing Broadband landscape: Best Practices for Public-Private Partnerships.