Grid Deployment Office: December Newsletter
Grid Deployment Office | U.S. Department of Energy
DOE GDO leads efforts to modernize and upgrade the U.S. electrical grid and critical electricity-generating facilities.
Recent Announcements
DOE Announces Over $13 Million to Connect More Puerto Rico Communities with Residential Solar and Battery Storage
On November 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a slate of community groups and nonprofits selected to receive up to $13.85 million to help vulnerable households in Puerto Rico obtain residential solar and battery storage installations and provide residents with education and consumer protection services. Funded through the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), the funding and selected organizations will support DOE’s efforts to deploy solar and battery storage systems on up to 40,000 single-family households in Puerto Rico. The PR-ERF will ultimately improve vulnerable households’ energy resilience, achieve President Biden’s goal of lowering energy costs for all Americans, as well as help Puerto Rico achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050.
To help ensure vulnerable households can best use their solar and battery systems, as well as access their consumer rights in Puerto Rico, DOE announced the selection of Hispanic Federation Inc. and the Institute for Building Technology and Safety to lead education, training, and consumer protection initiatives. Pending successful negotiations, these two organizations are slated to receive up to $10 million total from the PR-ERF funding opportunity announcement. In addition, DOE also announced 16 community organizations in Puerto Rico as selectees for the PR-ERF's $3.85 million Solar Ambassador Prize. Solar Ambassadors will assist the Department in identifying, engaging, and assisting with intake processing of qualifying households for solar panel and battery storage installations.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Up to $3.9 Billion to Modernize and Expand America's Power Grid
On November 14, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced up to $3.9 billion available through the second round of funding from DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. Administered by the Grid Deployment Office and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the GRIP program enhances grid flexibility and resilience against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change while supporting meaningful community and labor engagement, investing in the American workforce, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Successful projects will deploy Federal funding to maximize grid infrastructure deployment at-scale and leverage private sector and non-federal public capital to advance deployment goals.
Concept papers are a required first step in the application process and are due at 5:00 p.m. ET on January 12, 2024.
News and Updates
Where Are We Now? Celebrating the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Historic Investment in Critical Electric Infrastructure.
Signed just two years ago on November 15, 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL, is a historic investment in our nation’s critical infrastructure and a major step towards meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s unprecedented commitment to tackling the climate crisis and achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
As we celebrated BIL’s second anniversary in November, GDO took a look at what the office’s BIL investments have looked like in practice and deployment over the past two years.
December 12: Innovative Grid Deployment Pathways to Commercial Liftoff Webinar
Through the forthcoming Innovative Grid Deployment Pathways to Commercial Liftoff report, DOE is exploring strategies to accelerate deployment of innovative but commercially available grid technologies, which are crucial for bolstering grid reliability, resilience, and efficiency.
Join the Department on December 12, 2023, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. ET for a webinar offering a sneak peek into the four priority technologies identified for greater near-term deployment. The full report is set for release in early 2024.
ICYMI: Blog Series – GRIP Projects Bring Widespread Benefits
In October, the DOE announced a historic $3.5 billion investment in our grid through GDO’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. But what does this mean for the average American? Following the announcement, GDO explored the widespread benefits of GRIP’s selected projects through a series of blogs, including:
Check out the full blog series and learn more about individual projects.
Recording and Slides Available: GRIP Program Second Round Funding Webinar
On November 14, 2023, DOE announced up to $3.9 billion available in the second round of funding through the GRIP Program, which enhances grid flexibility and resilience against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change. Following this announcement, DOE held a public webinar on November 20 to provide additional information. Webinar slides and a recording of the presentation are now available.
Get to Know the Team at GDO
GDO’s team is made up of people from all backgrounds, walks of life, and levels of experience. In combining all of this experience, working for the government—and GDO—means there are lots of opportunities to think creatively and work collaboratively working behind the scenes on our innovative programs:
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New Tool Connects Microgrids to Increase Community Resilience in Puerto Rico
Microgrids, which often use solar and storage, can function even when disconnected from the larger grid, which is helpful during widespread outages. A new tool developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office takes microgrid capabilities even further, allowing the exchange of power between multiple microgrids within a network. See how this new tool can increase community resilience, especially in places that experience major hurricanes like Puerto Rico.
Get the Latest News from GDO Straight to Your Inbox
To learn more about the latest milestones, funding opportunities, webinars, and highlights from GDO’s teams, make sure you opt-in to receive program specific updates. This includes a new option to be notified of new “GDO Blogs, Success Stories, and Project Updates.” By opting into topic-specific lists, you’ll receive timely notifications whenever we post new content.
Topics include:
Connect With Us on Facebook
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Explore Available Grid Resilience and Transmission Planning Resources
Do you know which transmission planning and grid resilience financing program is right for your project? With more options now for financing and investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as other existing DOE transmission and grid programs, GDO’s Grid and Transmission Program Conductor’s interactive tool can help identify which opportunities may be best suited to bring your project to fruition.
Are you interested in figuring out which program can help you build an affordable, reliable, clean energy future for your community? GDO’s State and Tribal Grid Resilience and Transmission Planning Resource Hub provides valuable resources geared specifically to community partners to ensure we maximize regional and community benefits.
Open Opportunities
OPPORTUNITY: Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program)
Upcoming Events
Recent Meeting Materials
Meeting: National Transmission Needs Study Findings Webinar
Meeting: Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program Second Round Funding Webinar
For more video content from GDO, including messages from GDO leadership, recordings from past webinars, explainer videos, and more, check out GDO’s YouTube playlist on the DOE YouTube channel.
US Government Supply Contractor at US DOD
1yThanks for the excellent newsletter.