The U.S. power grid, much of it built nearly a century ago, is being strained by storms, floods and heat waves fueled by climate change even as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence are boosting power demand, Granholm told reporters in a call.
In 2021, the Texas grid collapsed during a cold spell, killing more than 200 people and leaving millions of homes without power.
The projects will help bring more than 35 gigawatts of new electricity onto the grid from wind and solar and other renewable power and invest in 400 microgrids, or self sufficient energy systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.
It was the first round of selections under the broader $10.5 billion grid resilience and innovation partnerships program managed by DOE.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, PECO Energy (PECI.UL) will boost grid reliability and resilience through substation flood mitigation, replacing aging infrastructure, and deploying battery systems for backup power.
Persons:
Carlos Barria, Joe Biden's, Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Timothy Gardner, David Gregorio Our
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, Energy, Department of Energy, DOE, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, PECO Energy, Holy, Thomson
Locations:
Mountain View , California, U.S, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Washington