Advanced transmission projects get $1.9B in DOE funding

The U.S. Department of Energy is putting $1.9 billion toward 31 projects meant to squeeze more capacity out of the existing power grid, rather than build new transmission lines from scratch. The money, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is expected to help rebuild or upgrade wiring on more than 1,500 miles of transmission lines and add grid-monitoring technology across nearly 21,000 more miles. DOE says the work will add 23 gigawatts of grid capacity, with project sponsors kicking in about $3.4 billion of their own money, for $5.3 billion in total spending.

The projects span 26 states and involve utilities including Alabama Power, Duke Energy Carolinas, Eversource Energy, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and PPL Electric. Two of the larger projects aim to better connect the eastern and western halves of the U.S. power grid, which currently have limited ability to share electricity: a $1.2 billion Colorado effort and an $832 million project linking grid operators in Oklahoma and Colorado.

For homeowners, this is grid-level infrastructure work rather than something that changes your utility bill or upgrade options right away. DOE argues that using existing power lines more efficiently, instead of building costly new ones, should eventually help hold down electricity costs and reduce congestion on the grid. Whether and how quickly that shows up on a bill will depend on where you live and which utility serves you.