Building a Better Grid Awards Newsletter
To share how historic levels of federal and private investment are positively impacting communities across the country, this new monthly newsletter from GDO showcases grid projects that have successfully completed award negotiations and are beginning work. Each month will contain representative examples of work underway.
August’s roundup of finalized awards includes projects from the GRIP Program; Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants; Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund; and Transmission Facilitation Program.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and GDO Launch Inclusive Transmission Planning (ITP) Project
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in partnership with GDO is offering technical assistance to transmission planners, including Regional Transmission Organizations, Independent System Operators, Power Marketing Administrations, and utilities. The goal of the technical assistance is to help interested transmission planners identify opportunities to improve community engagement and integrate equity considerations in transmission planning processes. PNNL will offer this technical assistance through the development of targeted resources, conducting trainings and webinars, and technical analysis and direct consultation.
Technical Assistance Offered:
Tier I: Capacity Building — Participants will receive short-term support from lab staff to provide educational resources, information, materials, and/or consultation on best practices or other considerations of energy equity in transmission planning.
Tier II Advanced — Participants will receive extended support from lab staff to assist in integrating energy equity in transmission planning through deep-dive analysis, modeling, and analytical support.
The online application form must be completed and submitted by 11:59 PM PT on October 31, 2024, for consideration.
For more information and to register for the introductory webinar on September 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. ET, visit the ITP technical assistance website.
New $11.2 Million Program to Pilot Clean Energy and Electric Vehicle Interconnection Queue Management
DOE’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) team and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation just launched the Innovative Queue Management Solutions for Clean Energy Interconnection and Energization program. This program will award $11.2 million to distribution utilities to pilot innovative solutions for managing renewable energy interconnection and electric vehicle charging equipment energization queues. For more information, attend office hours on September 19 at 3 p.m. ET. Applications are due October 16 at 3 p.m. ET.
Road Trip on the Transmission Highway: GDO Anniversary
Fueled by historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and IRA investments, the critical work to modernize and enhance our nation’s power grid is not only gaining speed—it is paving the way for a bright energy future. ICYMI, last month we took a virtual road trip on the “transmission highway” as we explored key milestones and made a few stops along the way to highlight how the important work at GDO is making a difference in our daily lives.
We celebrated our two-year anniversary on August 10 and over the past year, GDO has been supercharged by expanding transformative programs rooted in meaningful stakeholder and community engagement, deploying historic funding for projects to drive widespread infrastructure improvements, and accelerating access to clean, affordable energy. From enhancing grid capacity to improving power reliability, every accomplishment and milestone marks progress toward a more resilient future.
Sparking Transmission Deployment: IRA Anniversary
Plugging into the transformative deployment of transmission infrastructure and building a more resilient power grid that provides reliable electricity when and where it is needed most is an exciting job! At GDO, we are flipping the switch on our nation’s aging infrastructure by advancing transmission solutions that can meet the increasing demand for electricity while sparking economic growth and transforming communities across the country.
Through the historic IRA, these investments are an opportunity to create good-paying jobs, revitalize communities, improve health, lower energy bills, and increase energy independence for the United States. GDO oversees approximately $2.9 billion in IRA funding to support transmission siting and economic development, facility financing, offshore wind transmission planning and analysis, and environmental reviews.
Largest DOE Fellowship Class to Date Will Help Advance Clean Energy Projects Across the Country
On August 21, 2024, DOE announced the 2024 class of the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship (CEIF), placing fellows at 68 critical energy organizations across 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
GDO is funding 11 fellows in the 2024 Class to support state energy offices in Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin and public utility commissions in Connecticut and Wyoming.
CEIF recruits recent graduates and energy professionals from diverse backgrounds to spend up to two years supporting Host Institutions’ clean energy projects under the guidance of a designated mentor. Fellows receive hands-on experience advancing solutions that will help decarbonize the power system, electrify transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more resilient, equitable, and inclusive.
Source: Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Climate One: What the FERC Is Going on With the Electric Grid
GDO Director Maria Robinson joined Climate One’s podcast on August 16, 2024, along with other experts, to discuss the urgent need to modernize and strengthen our nation’s grid.
Image credit: Climate One
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