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Energy & Grid Management
Energy Central Contributor
Energy Central Contributor
 · Posted in Energy & Grid Management

DOE Seeking Input on Formula Grant Program to Strengthen Resilience of the Electricity Grid

RFI Comments Due May 27, 2022

Under Section 40101(d) Formula Grant Program of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Department of Energy will provide grants to states (this includes Indian Tribes, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia) to improve the resilience of their electric grids. States may further allocate funds to “eligible entities” such as electric grid operators, electricity storage operators, and transmission owners or operators. These grants offer a unique opportunity to advance the capabilities of states and their communities to address not only current, but future, resilience needs as well.

The types of resilience investments permitted under this program may range considerably according to the needs of respective applicants. They may include:

  • The hardening of assets
  • The deployment of more sophisticated capabilities such as the real-time control and coordination of system assets, including inverter-based resources (DERs) and microgrids
  • The provision of tools for supporting modeling and analysis efforts that can assist in the determination of solutions that would improve all-hazard resilience

Funding may also be used for the training, recruitment, retention, and reskilling of skilled and properly credentialed workers to perform the work required for the particular resilience measures. 

The Notice of Intent provides information on DOE’s plans (subject to revision based on comments received in response to NOI) for implementation of Section 40101(d) of the BIL.

Request for Information
The U.S. Department of Energy invites public comment on its request for information regarding formula grants to be awarded to states and Indian Tribes to support investment for preventing outages and enhancing the resilience of the electric grid. The purpose of the RFI is to collect stakeholder feedback to inform DOE's structuring of such formula grants to states and Indian Tribes, with funding made available through a provision of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

Grid Hardening State/Tribal Formula Grant Program Webinar
On May 5, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, DOE will host a public webinar providing additional information on the program. Register for the webinar.