Recent Announcements

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $50 Million in States and Tribal Nations to Modernize America’s Electric Grid

On May 23, 2023, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) announced four states and two Tribal nations were selected to receive the first round of funding, totaling $50 million in Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants. Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO), the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants will help to modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts due to extreme weather and natural disaster and ensure the reliability of the power sector’s infrastructure, so all communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity anytime, anywhere while helping deliver on the President’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.

The Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants awards are made on a rolling basis as applications are received. The FY 22 and FY 23 application period for States and Territories is now closed. The FY 22 and FY 23 application deadline was extended for Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, until August 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET (with a mail-in option post-marked by this date).

Find out more about the first recipients of the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants.

Biden-Harris Administration Releases Nearly $600 Million to Modernize and Advance Water Power Across America

On May 8, 2023, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy David Turk appeared as a special guest at National Hydropower Association's Waterpower Week. There he announced that the Grid Deployment Office is now accepting applications for the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives, which will provide up to $554 million in incentive payments, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to maintain and enhance hydroelectric facilities.

This funding will help ensure generators continue to provide clean, affordable electricity, while integrating additional renewable energy resources and reduce environmental impacts. DOE also announced a $45 million funding opportunity to support a pilot demonstration site and community-led tidal and/or current energy project in the United States. Collectively, these announcements represent DOE's largest-ever investments in both hydropower and marine energy and will play a key role in achieving President Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.

Letters of Intent to submit full applications under the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives are due June 22, 2023, 5:00 p.m. ET.

Learn more about the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives.

GDO Proposes National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor Designation Process

On May 9, 2023, GDO issues a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Request for Information (RFI) to inform the designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs).

NIETCs are geographic areas where electricity limitations, congestion, or capacity constraints are adversely affecting electricity consumers and communities. Designation of a NIETC unlocks critical federal investment and regulatory and permitting tools to spur urgent transmission investments needed in these geographic areas to improve reliability and resilience and reduce consumer costs. In the NOI, GDO provides further information on its anticipated approach to designating NIETCs. The RFI seeks stakeholder feedback to improve the designation process to more accurately pinpoint areas experiencing the greatest transmission need and with the greatest potential for immediate transmission deployment.

All comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 29, 2023.

Read more about the NIETC designation process.

Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship Application Period Opens for New Energy Professionals

On May 24, 2023, GDO, in partnership with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, opened the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship (CEIF) application period for recent graduates and early career energy professionals.

CEIF is a unique workforce development program that matches new energy professionals to key energy organizations to support the advancement of clean energy solutions. This year, the Fellowship is offering 37 placement opportunities through Host Institutions who are supporting the transition to clean electricity while also increasing access to clean energy career opportunities across the United States.

Fellowship candidates must apply to the program by June 12, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET.

Learn more about Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship.

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News and Updates

The White House Highlights GDO's Work to Accelerate the Federal Permitting Process

On May 10, 2023, the White House released a fact sheet outlining the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to strengthen and accelerate Federal permitting and environmental reviews. Among the highlighted efforts is the completion of a new interagency Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the timely, responsible, and equitable permitting of electric transmission infrastructure. The MOU directs the Department of Energy to use existing authority under the Federal Power Act to coordinate onshore transmission planning and permitting activities across the federal government. Together with the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) designation process, the agreement will accelerate the development of transmission lines and help to make our nation more secure by accelerating the development of a modern electric grid that delivers clean energy to all American homes and businesses.

Read the full fact sheet.

Biden-Harris Administration Makes Historic, $11 Billion Investment to Advance Clean Energy Across Rural America

On May 16, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities through the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help rural energy and utility providers bring affordable, reliable clean energy to communities across the country. This represents the single largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936.

Funding is available through two programs under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. USDA will open a Letter of Interest process for the Empowering Rural America (“New ERA”) program to make $9.7 billion available for eligible rural electric cooperatives to purchase, build, or deploy renewable energy, zero-emission systems, carbon capture storage systems, or to purchase renewable energy. Eligible entities must submit a Letter of Interest between July 31 and August 31, 2023.

In addition to New ERA, USDA will also open a Letter of Interest process for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program to make $1 billion available in partially forgivable loans to renewable-energy developers and electric service providers, including municipals, cooperatives, and investor-owned and Tribal utilities, Funds will help finance large-scale solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower projects, and energy storage in support of renewable energy systems. USDA will accept Letters of Interest on a rolling basis from June 30, 2023, through September 29, 2023.

Learn more about these new programs.

GDO Director Maria Robinson Joins 2023 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Celebration

On May 23, 2023, DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (ED) and Energy Asian American Pacific Islander Network (AAPIN) Employee Resource Group hosted its 2023 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Celebration, honoring the many contributions of the AANHPI community within DOE and beyond. With this year’s theme being “Visible Together,” President Biden’s Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month noted the vital importance of the AANHPI community within the American landscape. Ceremony speakers included Director Maria Robinson.

Learn more about the DOE’S AANHPI community.

GDO Principal Deputy Director Pat Hoffman Joins Washington Post Live Event

On May 16, 2023, Principal Deputy Director Pat Hoffman joined a Washington Post Live event sponsored by Hitachi Energy to discuss digital solutions that will enhance the resilience and reliability of America’s electric grid.

Hear how the Grid Deployment Office is investing in grid resilience and modernization.

The Grid Deployment Office is Hiring!

GDO is actively recruiting for a variety of positions based in Washington, D.C., as well as remote and hybrid positions. Potential positions include:

• Environmental experts at multiple levels (GS 9 through GS 15) to support our Grid Infrastructure, Permitting, and Technical Assistance and Federal Permitting Coordination teams. To learn more about the qualifications for the position, review the LinkedIn post.
  • If this sounds like you (or someone you know), apply now via the Department’s Clean Energy Corps and use the referral code “#GDOTPM”.
     
• Market experts at multiple levels (GS 9 through GS 14) to support our Wholesale Markets and Hydropower Incentives teams. To learn more about the qualifications for the position, review the LinkedIn post.
  • If this sounds like you (or someone you know), apply now via the Department’s Clean Energy Corps and use the referral code “#GDOGCD”.

To learn more about these positions or to let us know you have applied, contact GDORecruit@hq.doe.gov with the referral code in the subject line.

Visit our career page to learn more about the application process.

Subscribe to the GDO Newsletter

Did you know that GDO offers subscriptions to program-specific news and updates? This month, GDO shared the second issue of the quarterly Puerto Rico Energy Recovery and Resilience Newsletter, which was also available in Spanish, and a Spring Roundup on the Hydroelectric Incentives. 

Make sure you opt-in to receive program-specific information about funding opportunities, webinars, requests for information, and more.

Specific programs include:

• Building a Better Grid Initiative and Transmission Planning
• Civil Nuclear Credits
• Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program
• Hydroelectric Incentives
• Information for States and Tribes
• National Transmission Planning Study
• Offshore Wind Transmission Planning
• Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization

Subscribe to receive news and updates.

Grid and Transmission Program Conductor

Do you know which transmission and grid resilience financing program is right for your project? With more options now for financing and investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, as well as other existing DOE transmission and grid programs, the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor's interactive tool can help identify which opportunities may be best suited to bring your project to fruition.

Check out the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor.

Open Opportunities

Recent Meeting Materials

For more video content from GDO, including messages from GDO leadership, recordings from past webinars, explainer videos, and more, check out GDO’s new YouTube playlist on the DOE YouTube channel.