Climate & Environment
DOE selects $5.25 billion in grid upgrades across 26 states
The selected projects would rebuild lines and install grid technologies; DOE's projected capacity and bill savings depend on the work being completed.
Executive summary
- The selections: DOE announced its intention to help fund 31 grid-improvement projects in 26 states under its SPARK initiative.[1][2]
- The funding: DOE expects $1.9 billion in federal funding and $3.35 billion from recipients, for $5.25 billion in total project investment.[1][2]
- The work: Recipients are expected to rebuild or reconductor more than 1,500 miles of transmission lines and add grid-enhancing technologies across nearly 21,000 miles.[1][2]
- The limit: DOE projects more than 23 gigawatts of additional grid capacity, but those benefits and lower customer bills are forecasts, not delivered results.[1][2]
The U.S. Energy Department said Thursday it intends to help fund 31 projects in 26 states to increase the capacity and reliability of existing electricity transmission lines. The department put the proposed investment at $5.25 billion: $1.9 billion in federal funds and $3.35 billion from the project recipients.[1][2]
Under the Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades initiative, known as SPARK, recipients are expected to replace or rebuild more than 1,500 miles of lines and deploy grid-enhancing technologies across nearly 21,000 miles. Reconductoring uses higher-capacity conductors on existing lines; other equipment can help operators move power around congestion and use available capacity more effectively.[1][2]
DOE estimates the projects could make more than 23 gigawatts of additional transmission capacity available and improve service for about 100 million Americans. Those are agency projections. The announcement identifies selected projects and an intention to fund them; it does not mean all upgrades are built, all funding is paid out, or customer electricity bills have already fallen.[1][2]
The push comes as electricity demand from data centers and other large users is rising. The Associated Press reported that the federal portion comes from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program established by the bipartisan infrastructure law. Using existing rights-of-way could allow some improvements sooner than building entirely new transmission corridors, though each project's timing and final benefits will depend on execution.[1][2]