The objective of this program is to improve the resilience of the electric grid against disruptive events. A disruptive event is an event in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster.” To achieve this objective, funding provided by DOE under this program may be used to implement a wide range of resilience measures intended to mitigate the impact of disruptive events, including:
- weatherization technologies and equipment;
- fire-resistant technologies and fire prevention systems;
- monitoring and control technologies;
- the undergrounding of electrical equipment;
- utility pole management;
- the relocation of power lines or the reconductoring of power lines with low-sag, advanced conductors;
- vegetation and fuel-load management;
- the use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including:
- microgrids; and
- battery-storage subcomponents;
- adaptive protection technologies;
- advanced modeling technologies;
- hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, of other systems; and
- the replacement of old overhead conductors and underground cables.
Funding may also be used for the training, recruitment, retention, and reskilling of skilled and properly credentialled workers in order to perform the work required for the particular resilience measures listed above.
Awards made under this program will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
FY22/23 awards can be viewed here: https://www.energy.gov/gdo/grid-resilience-state-and-tribal-formula-grant-awards