Recent Announcements 

DOE and FEMA Release One-Year Progress Report on Joint Effort to Modernize Puerto Rico’s Grid With 100% Clean Energy 

On January 23, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a one-year progress report for the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transition to 100% Renewable (PR100) Study. PR100, which launched in February 2022 with funding from FEMA, is a two-year study designed to help inform infrastructure investments that will provide Puerto Rico with clean, reliable, and affordable power. The study aims to generate community-driven pathways to meet Puerto Rico’s target of 100% renewable electricity by 2050 while also improving the resilience of the power system against future extreme weather events.  

On January 30, 2023, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm began a week-long trip to Puerto Rico to meet with community members across the island about the critical and urgent need to rebuild and modernize. The Secretary kicked off the week with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi to discuss updates on the progress made by the Puerto Rico Grid Modernization and Recovery Team. The team was formed by President Biden in October 2022 to identify and overcome impediments to rapid infrastructure deployment that will provide the island with clean, reliable, and affordable power and expedite current rebuilding activities. 

For more information on the preliminary findings from the first year of study, visit the PR100 webpage. 

News and Updates 

Grid Deployment Office Launches Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants Program with $760M Inflation Reduction Act Investment 

On January 13, 2023, the Grid Deployment Office launched the Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants program, a $760 million investment through the Inflation Reduction Act to support states and local communities in the siting and permitting of interstate and offshore electricity transmission lines. As a first step in the development of this program, DOE is requesting information from stakeholders regarding issues related to the provision of grants to facilitate the siting of interstate and offshore electricity transmission lines, including possible tools and resources that may reduce the time for siting authorities to reach decisions, and opportunities to increase community engagement and reduce conflicts that can stall siting processes. Responses to this Request for Information are due no later than 5 pm ET on February 28, 2023.   

Learn more about the Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants Program. 

Grid Deployment Office Celebrates the First Anniversary of the Building a Better Grid Initiative 

In January 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the Building a Better Grid Initiative to identify national transmission and distribution needs and support critical infrastructure deployment to create a cleaner and more resilient and reliable grid. On the first anniversary, GDO kicked off a weeklong celebration where we dug deeper into progress to date and key steps ahead. Materials from the week included: 

• Welcome address from Maria Robinson, Director of the Grid Deployment Office, highlighting the Building a Better Grid Initiative’s role in executing GDO’s mission to provide affordable, reliable, and clean power to all Americans. 
• Secretary Granholm and Director Robinson discussing GDO accomplishments and how important the grid is to reach our clean energy goals. 
• Blog series exploring GDO’s work to identify national transmission and distribution needs and support the buildout of long-distance, high-voltage transmission facilities and distribution systems, as well as what lies ahead in 2023. 

View our anniversary celebration content. 

Applications Closed for First Round of the Transmission Facilitation Program 

Applications for the first round of the Transmission Facilitation Program closed on February 1, 2023, and the review process is underway. The Department does not intend to publicly announce the identities of entities that submit applications and will only announce names of applicants who are selected to participate after the selection process. 

Learn more about the Transmission Facilitation Program. 

Grid Deployment Office Sends Encouragement Notifications to Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program Applicants 

On February 2, 2023, the Grid Deployment Office sent notifications encouraging or discouraging entities who submitted Concept Papers to two components of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program: The Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants and Smart Grid Grants. Letters of encouragement and discouragement provide feedback on which criteria a Concept Paper can improve upon in a full application. Entities who receive a discourage letter are allowed to submit a full application, and entities who receive an encourage letter are not guaranteed an award. However, entities that did not submit a Concept Paper are ineligible to progress to the next phase of the application cycle, which is submitting a full application. 

GDO will host a webinar on February 8, 2023, 2 pm ET for all program applicants to receive guidance highlighting concept paper submission trends, review program criteria, and next steps in the application process. A public recording of the webinar will be posted on GDO’s website within two weeks for those who are unable to attend the webinar. 

Learn more about the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. 

Apply Now to Join the Grid Deployment Office Team 

The Grid Deployment Office is hiring! We are recruiting passionate people interested in grid modernization, transmission deployment, and power generation to help us achieve our mission to deliver reliable, clean, and affordable energy to more Americans. Positions are available across the country and many opportunities offer the ability to work remotely. 

Visit our career page for more details on potential career options and the application process. 

Grid and Transmission Program Conductor 

Determine which funding opportunity for grid improvements may be right for your project with the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor. Acting as a clearinghouse for GDO’s transmission and grid resilience financing programs, as well as other existing DOE transmission and grid programs, the Conductor’s interactive tool can help identify which opportunities may be best suited to individual projects. Along with the interactive tool, the Conductor provides comprehensive information about available funding opportunities and the application process. 

Visit the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor today. 

Open Opportunities 

Recent Meeting Materials