Recent U.S. Department of Energy Investments Accelerate Advanced Energy Technology Deployment

This month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced three major investments aimed at enhancing the resilience and reliability of our nation’s electric grid in response to growing demand.

The investments made by DOE’s Transmission Facilitation Program, Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, and Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Program represent significant funding for the modernization of our country’s energy infrastructure, whether through transmission projects, innovative grid solutions, or manufacturing capabilities. Funded directly by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), these programs are designed to create a reliable, clean, and affordable grid, while generating thousands of jobs and supporting disadvantaged communities. 

At Advanced Energy United, our Federal Investment and Manufacturing team focuses on leveraging our state networks to advocate for key investments, such as those generated by the programs listed in this blog post, that promote the rapid deployment of advanced energy technologies and transportation. Our policy experts collaborate closely with U.S. DOE, as well as state and local decision-makers, to effectively utilize dollars from the IIJA and IRA in support of advanced energy solutions that address grid challenges in innovative, clean, and cost-effective ways. 

Learn more about how the Transmission Facilitation Program, Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Program, and GRIP Program are supporting technologies and services that improve grid flexibility: 

1. Transmisson Facilitation Program

On October 3, the DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO) announced an investment of $1.5 billion in four transmission projects through the Transmission Facilitation Program, which works to overcome the financial hurdles facing transmission development in order to improve grid reliability and resilience, relieve costly transmission congestion, and open access to affordable energy. Together, these projects will unlock 7.1 GW of new capacity, making the U.S. grid more resilient, affordable, and clean. 

Among the awardees included were United member companies LS Power, Invenergy, and Pattern Energy Group: 

• A subsidiary of LS Power, Great Basin Transmission, LLC was awarded $331 million for its Southwest Intertie Project (SWIP)-North, which aims to construct a 285-mile, ~2,000 MW transmission line from Twin Falls, Idaho to Ely, Nevada. The project will bolster resource adequacy in the West by bringing wind energy from Idaho to Southern Nevada and to customers in California, as well as provide a pathway for solar resources to meet evolving reliability needs in the Pacific Northwest. With construction anticipated to start in 2025, the proposed line will bring more than 2,000 MW of needed transmission capacity to the region and create over 300 new, high quality and union construction jobs.

• Invenergy’s Cimarron Link, which will deliver new renewable energy supply from the Oklahoma Panhandle to rapidly growing load centers in eastern Oklahoma, was selected to enter award negotiations for a $306 million capacity contract through the TFP. Cimarron Link will improve grid reliability and affordability in Oklahoma while driving economic development and community benefits across the state.

• Pattern Energy Group was selected to receive up to $360 million to fund its Southern Spirit Transmission project, a 320-mile, 525-kV high-voltage direct-current line that would be able to deliver 3 GW between a wind power zone in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and Mississippi. Interconnecting Texas to the Southeast will expand access to diverse resources and improve grid resilience in high demand and extreme weather events, benefiting ratepayers in both regions. 

2. The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program

On October 18, DOE announced almost $2 billion in federal investments through the second round of Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) funding for 38 projects in 42 states plus the District of Columbia. This comes on top of $2.2 billion in Grid Innovation Grants DOE announced in August for eight large-scale projects across 18 states. The funding aims to protect the U.S. power grid against growing threats of extreme weather, lower costs for communities, and enable additional grid capacity to meet load growth stemming from an increase in manufacturing, data centers, and electrification. 
 
Among the awardees for this second round of funding were United member companies Generac, Highland Electric Fleets, and Utilidata:

• Generac‘s “Accelerating Clean Energy Resiliency for the Grid and California Water Utilities” project, awarded $50 million, will integrate clean energy solutions with water utilities across California. Utilizing energy storage to help support microgrids, Generac will integrate these investments into Virtual Power Plants that better allow California grid operators to manage demand during peak load periods. 

• Utilidata, in partnership with awardee Consumers Energy, General Motors, EPRI, and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, will provide vital insights into improving grid management strategies to better integrate EVs. The research partnership, awarded $19.9 million, will accelerate technological advancements and foster new learnings that can be shared across the industry.

3. Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Program 

This month, the DOE announced $428 million in investments through the Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program for 14 projects across 12 states, building off the first round of selections announced in November 2023. The projects were selected by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains to help revitalize communities impacted by coal mine or coal power plant closures to ensure that these communities continue to be a core part of the manufacturing revolution needed to meet the nation’s growing energy technology needs. 

Among the awardees for the program included United member company Mainspring Energy’s “Accelerating Linear Generator Production for Mainspring Energy” project. Awarded $87 million, the project will establish a manufacturing facility near Pittsburgh to produce 1,000 linear generators annually and significantly enhance American global competitiveness by onshoring and localizing the supply chain.