Grid Deployment Office: April 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
Biden-Harris Administration Opens Application Period to Support Hydropower Facilities Across the Country
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Hydroelectric Incentives Invest in Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectric Facilities to Ensure Generators Continue to Provide Clean Power
On March 14, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced the opening of the 2024 application period for the Hydroelectric Production Incentive, which supports the modernization and expansion of hydroelectric power throughout America through the?Hydroelectric Incentives Program. Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed under President Biden, the?Hydroelectric Incentives Program?is focused on maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities to ensure generators continue to provide clean power, while improving dam safety and reducing environmental impacts.
Hydroelectric Production Incentive applications for electricity generated and sold in calendar year 2023 are due by 5:00 p.m. ET on April 23, 2024.
DOE Reports Chart Path for East Coast Offshore Wind to Support a Reliable, Affordable Electricity System
Study Finds Interregional Offshore Transmission Network Would Support Long-Term Growth of Atlantic Offshore Wind, Action Plan Identifies Immediate Steps and Extended Efforts
On March 21, DOE released findings from the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan and Study. Offshore wind is projected to be a key part of a low-carbon future for East Coast states and this report is the most thorough analysis to date of options to bring Atlantic offshore wind energy to American communities. While immediate projects will connect individually to the onshore grid, the study finds that after 2030, strategically linking some offshore wind energy projects via offshore transmission networks will help lower electricity production costs, enhance U.S. grid reliability, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while ensuring disruptions to oceanic ecosystems are minimal.
The Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study is a two-year study evaluating transmission options to support offshore wind energy deployment along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.
The study informed the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan which outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electric grid, as well as longer-term efforts to increase transmission over the next several decades.
DOE Invests More Than $18 Million for Clean Energy-Related Economic Development in Low-Income Communities
DOE announced on March 22 the second cohort of communities selected as part of the Communities Local Energy Action Program (Communities LEAP), a unique technical assistance initiative designed to help disadvantaged communities and those with historical ties to fossil fuel industries take direct control of their clean energy future. The 30 selected communities will receive a total of $18 million worth of technical assistance to create tailored community-wide action plans that reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy burdens, and create well-paying jobs.
The 30 selected applicants will work with DOE and its network of technical assistance providers, as well as local coalition partners including local and tribal governments; community-based organizations; utilities; and environmental justice, economic development, and equitable investment organizations to develop roadmaps that utilize clean energy as a tool for economic development.
DOE selected projects for Communities LEAP’s Puerto Rico Community Resilience category located in the following municipalities:?
News and Updates
DOE?Publishes PR100 Study Results and Possible Pathways to Puerto Rico’s 100% Renewable Energy Future
The full PR100 Study is now available on PR100.gov.
DOE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the final Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100). The two-year study concludes that Puerto Rico can successfully meet its projected electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050. PR100 outlines possible pathways to achieving clean energy success, including grid stabilization measures and the deployment of distributed energy resources.
Launched in February 2022 with funding from FEMA, PR100 deployed the world-class expertise of DOE's National Labs to engage diverse local stakeholders regarding their priorities for their energy future, gather and generate valuable data sets, and create advanced models to project scenarios for achieving 100% renewable energy. PR100 also includes an Implementation Roadmap, providing decision-makers in Puerto Rico with specific actions that can be taken to stabilize the grid, improve resilience, and achieve local renewable energy goals. The two-year PR100 Study relied on extensive stakeholder input to ensure the results and Implementation Roadmap reflect local priorities for Puerto Rico’s energy transition.
View the full study and interactive data visualizations at PR100.gov.
ICYMI: GRIP Program Training Webinars Now Available On-Demand
Recordings of three critical training webinars from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program are now available on demand. Available for second round funding applicants and those who may choose to apply for funding in the future, these webinars provide important information about eligibility and legal requirements, supply chain challenges, application components, and next steps.
DOE's Northern Lights - Nick Palso
The Arctic Energy Office is hosting a series of interviews to highlight the lives and achievements of some of DOE’s outstanding employees with Arctic and Alaska connections. Meet Nick Palso. He went to college in Fairbanks and spent two summers doing his doctoral dissertation research in Alaska. Nick is now a senior project manager heading up a hydroelectric incentives program at GDO.
In this profile, you will learn about Nick’s experiences in the arctic, his role and interests, and more.
Catch Up on the Latest Blogs from GDO
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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: Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants FY24
OPPORTUNITY: Section 242: Hydroelectric Production Incentives
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 YouTube playlist on the DOE YouTube channel.
Embracing change, just as Darwin said, the most adaptable to change will survive. Exciting to see renewable energy get the spotlight it deserves! ????