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Message From Katie
It’s been an exciting year so far at OE! Let me share briefly what “electrifying” things we’ve been doing.
In March, we released our Strategic Plan, which outlines our path to deliver on President Trump’s and Secretary Wright’s priorities as the lead for the Department to ensure the affordability, reliability, and security of the U.S. electricity grid. We also opened a $1.9 billion funding opportunity, known as SPARK (Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades) to catalyze electricity infrastructure investments to meet electricity demand growth and resource adequacy needs, while lowering electricity costs for American households and businesses.
In May, OE celebrated exciting capabilities and milestones across the country. I had the opportunity to tour Eaton’s transformer facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and saw firsthand how the company is working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to accelerate next-generation transformer solutions that deliver higher efficiency, reduced footprint, lower total installed cost, and faster deployment for large load applications such as data centers.
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Meanwhile, our former Chief of Staff, James Young, marked the groundbreaking for Project STEEL (Strengthening Transmission Efficiency and Enhancing Lifespan), a major grid modernization effort in southeastern North Carolina funded through our Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program. This project will upgrade and harden infrastructure that has served the region for more than 55 years with the goal of reducing outages and enabling economic growth in the region.
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Collectively, this work is helping to ensure the grid delivers affordable, reliable, and secure energy.
This is just a snapshot of the game-changing work we have underway at OE that underscores what we can achieve when we match technical excellence with a clear strategic vision. I look forward to continuing this momentum as we transform the grid, promote American energy dominance, and improve the quality of life for the American people.
In partnership,
Catherine Jereza, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity
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Charting a Path to Stabilize, Optimize, and Grow the Grid
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OE’s Strategic Plan charts a bold, clear path forward for the office’s efforts to support President Trump’s and Secretary Wright’s priorities.
It outlines how the office will stabilize, optimize, and grow the electric system with a focus on four goals:
- Strengthen, enhance, and expand the electric system’s capacity to reliably and affordably meet growing demand;
- Ensure reliability and security of the electricity grid;
- Catalyze onshore production and availability of critical grid components to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers; and
- Accelerate innovation through the leveraging of cutting-edge scientific initiatives.
Read the full OE strategic plan.
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But Wait, There’s More! $50 Million for Tribal-led Energy Projects
With OE and the Office of Indian Energy’s (IE) shared focus on advancing affordable, reliable, and secure energy, we are excited to share the IE’s $50 million funding opportunity! This opportunity and SPARK will advance the impact and reach of grid infrastructure projects that will power the future.
IE’s funding opportunity for Tribal-led, community-scale energy projects will aim to cut energy costs, expand electricity access, and advance economic opportunities. Applications are due by July 24, 2026.
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Catch Up on Watt's New at OE
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Bolstering U.S. Energy Leadership: Opportunities for U.S. electricity exports have expanded! OE approved a Presidential Permit for Basin Electric Power Cooperative to construct, operate, and maintain two new 230‑kilovolt electric transmission lines extending from existing substations in North Dakota to the Canadian border. This will enable up to 650 megawatts of new cross-border transmission capability.
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Modernizing Puerto Rico’s Grid: March marked a significant milestone as several major transmission lines out of service since Hurricane Maria came back online! Funded by OE, these repairs are increasing the reliability and redundancy of Puerto Rico’s power system.
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Accelerating Transmission and Lowering Energy Costs: In February, OE announced $2.5 million through the Transmission Acceleration Grants program to Johns Hopkins University and Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. Their projects focus on expanding grid capacity to maintain a reliable grid while reducing the need for new construction and lowering electricity costs for consumers.
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Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) Simulation Workshop
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Join OE and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s joint workshop to explore EMT simulations—a cutting-edge tool crucial to large load integration and generation.
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When: August 18–21, 2026
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Where: Washington, D.C.
Register for the EMT Simulation Workshop
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Speeding up grid modernization: At the Utilities Technology Council Telecom and Technology Conference, Assistant Secretary Jereza and OE staff spoke to the essential speed, security, and reliability advancements in utility communications powering American innovation and communities.
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Connecting with frontline energy workers: Energy technologies, policies, and plans mean nothing without the dedicated electrical workers who protect, restore, and strengthen the grid. At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ Utility Conference, Assistant Secretary Jereza spoke directly with those keeping the lights on and unleashing American energy.
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Reinforcing U.S.-Canada energy ties: Assistant Secretary Jereza joined Electricity Canada’s Washington Policy Forum to discuss how the United States and Canada are advancing energy affordability, reliability, and security through our interconnected grid.
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Championing DOE and community partnership: At the WIRES Spring Meeting, Assistant Secretary Jereza outlined how government and communities can collaborate to build power lines faster, more efficiently, and without passing unnecessary costs onto families.
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Celebrating a microgrid milestone: Assistant Secretary Jereza traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to celebrate EPB’s installation of advanced microgrid capabilities to reduce power outages within its network.
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Did You Know? 2025 Was a Record-Breaking Year for U.S. Electricity Generation
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2025 was a year for the record books—reaching the highest annual U.S. electricity net generation with 4.43 thousand terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity!
This represents a 2.8% increase from the previous record set in 2024, according to EIA. But don’t expect this record to last, as EIA forecasts continued growth of energy generation, driven by increasing energy demand.
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