Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $30 Million in Grid Resilience Grants for States and Tribal Nations to Modernize Electric Grid

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced three states, three tribal nations, and an Alaskan Native Corporation will receive a combined total of $29.9 million as the fourth cohort of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants. Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, these grants will help modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts of climate-driven extreme weather and natural disasters while also ensuring power sector reliability. This funding will ensure all communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity while helping deliver on the President’s ambitious clean energy goals. 

 “Every community deserves clean, affordable power for their homes and businesses, a need that is only exacerbated during extreme weather events like the historic flooding and blistering heat waves that are hitting parts of the country this summer,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Thanks to the transformative investments in grid infrastructure under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are preparing the nation for a more resilient, clean energy future.”

Including today’s funding, DOE has distributed almost $354 million in Grid Resilience Formula Grants to 23 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 tribal entities since May. This fourth round of funding will go to the following recipients:  

• Connecticut will support the efficient and reliable integration of variable and distributed energy resources needed to meet the state’s zero carbon electric sector goal and avoid fossil peaking generation. Grant funds will be used to improve system reliability and resilience in a range of weather and storm conditions and attract, train, and retain a skilled and local workforce, especially from disadvantaged communities. (Amount: $6.5 million)
• Cook Inlet Region Inc. will reduce impacts to critical facilities from disruptive events, support workforce development, and address outdated or failing grid infrastructure. (Amount: $500,000)
• Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California will develop distributed energy resources and microgrids to increase power supply resilience, address Tribal energy justice to reduce impacts to disadvantaged communities, and support energy workforce development. (Amount: $287,000)
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation will use the funding to support critical Tribal facilities, implement technologies to improve and update grid control and operation infrastructure, and support Tribal workforce development (Amount: $1.8 million)
• Ohio will improve grid reliability by reducing the frequency and duration of outages in disadvantaged communities, while enhancing resilience to address all hazards, including future climate implications. Grants will be used to demonstrate community benefits using metrics developed with community input, with a focus on improving customer experience and communication. (Amount: $14 million)
• Vermont will improve energy resilience and reliability through prioritized investments in disadvantaged communities and critical facilities, and by optimizing the use of existing grid infrastructure via innovative solutions. Funds would also support sustaining and expanding the skilled energy workforce in the state. (Amount: $6 million)
• Village of Dot Lake will reduce outage risks through asset management and preventative maintenance, as well as plan the development of battery storage for critical facilities. The Tribe will advance energy justice by addressing energy burdens to low-income Tribal members and disadvantaged communities. (Amount: $149,000) 

DOE will distribute $2.3 billion in Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants over the next five years based on a formula that factors in population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts.  

The states, territories, and Tribes will then award these funds 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. 

Grid Resilience Formula Grant recipients are being announced on a rolling basis as applications are received. The fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 application deadline for States and Territories was May 31, 2023. The FY 2022 and FY 2023 application deadline for Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, is August 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET (with a mail-in option post-marked by that date). 

Learn more about the Grid Deployment Office.