USA: Electric cooperatives have been selected for $232 M in federal funding for transmission infrastructure upgrades under the third round of the US Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) programme.
The funding includes $87 M for the Unified Vision for Energy Resilience project, backed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and five electric cooperatives. The $174 M project covers five transmission system upgrades across Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin, targeting reduced congestion and increased electricity transfer capacity.
A further $145 M will support six individual cooperative projects. These include transmission reconductoring, substation equipment upgrades, replacement of ageing wooden structures with steel alternatives, and deployment of advanced communication and control technologies.
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative in New Mexico plans to upgrade transmission lines and introduce a line-rating system using advanced sensors and data analytics. Wyoming-based Powder River Energy will deploy real-time measurement sensors, operational automation and AI models for planning and predictive maintenance.
The awards form part of DOE’s $1.9 B SPARK initiative, covering 31 grid-improvement projects across 26 states.
Across three GRIP funding rounds, more than 80 electric cooperatives have received at least one award, with federal support totalling $1.3 B and combined DOE and cooperative investment reaching $2.3 B.
Source: NRECA
