Program Information

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Grid Deployment Office is administering a $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change.  

These programs will accelerate the deployment of transformative projects that will help to ensure the reliability of the power sector’s infrastructure, so all American communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity anytime, anywhere.

First Funding Opportunity 

The first round of funding for this program is $3.8 billion for FY 22 and 23. A public webinar to discuss the GRIP funding opportunity was held on November 29, 2022.

Concept papers are a required first step in the application process and submission deadlines vary by funding mechanism.

The Program includes three funding mechanisms:  

Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants ($2.5 billion) 

Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants support activities that will modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts due to extreme weather and natural disasters. This program will fund comprehensive transformational transmission and distribution technology solutions that will mitigate multiple hazards across a region or within a community, including wildfires, floods, hurricanes, extreme heat, extreme cold, storms, and any other event that can cause a disruption to the power system. This program provides grants to electric grid operators, electricity storage operators, electricity generators, transmission owners or operators, distribution providers, and fuel suppliers. Concept papers for the first funding opportunity were due by December 16, 2022.

Smart Grid Grants ($3 billion) 

Smart Grid Grants increase the flexibility, efficiency, and reliability of the electric power system, with particular focus on increasing capacity of the transmission system, preventing faults that may lead to wildfires or other system disturbances, integrating renewable energy at the transmission and distribution levels, and facilitating the integration of increasing electrified vehicles, buildings, and other grid-edge devices. Smart grid technologies funded and deployed at scale under this program will demonstrate a pathway to wider market adoption. This grant program has broad eligibility, open to domestic entities including institutions of higher education; for-profit entities; non-profit entities; and state and local governmental entities, and tribal nations. Concept papers for the first funding opportunity were due by December 16, 2022.

Grid Innovation Program ($5 billion) 

Grid Innovation Program provides financial assistance to one or multiple states, Tribes, local governments, and public utility commissions to collaborate with electric sector owners and operators to deploy projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability. Broad project applications are of interest including interregional transmission projects, investments that accelerate interconnection of clean energy generation, utilization of distribution grid assets to provide backup power and reduce transmission requirements, and more. Innovative approaches can range from use of advanced technologies to innovative partnerships to the deployment of projects identified by innovative planning processes to many others. Concept papers for the first funding opportunity were due by January 13, 2023.

Visit the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor for additional information to help identify which financing program is most appropriate for individual projects.