Powering Grid Resilience: A Comprehensive Look at the GRIP Program

In October 2023, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Grid Deployment Office announced up to nearly $3.5 billion in Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program funding. The funding, provided by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), covers 58 projects in 44 states to strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability across the country while supporting meaningful community and labor engagement, investing in the American workforce, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

In November, the DOE presented a webinar introducing a second round funding opportunity designed to provide an additional $3.9 billion for grid enhancements through fiscal year 2025. Like first round funding, successful projects should be designed to maximize grid infrastructure at scale, advance new or enhanced technologies, and leverage private and public sector dollars to advance the program goals.

More specifically, the DOE has set forth the following goals for the GRIP Program:

1. Transform the U.S. electric grid at the transmission and distribution levels by increasing resilience in the face of extreme disruptions, enabling data-rich and flexible grid performance, and spurring innovation at all stages of project ideation and execution;
2. Prioritize energy justice as an essential component of infrastructure development by dramatically altering the relationship between energy providers and their communities; and
3. Catalyze and leverage private sector and non-federal public capital for impactful technology and infrastructure deployment.

Federal funds from the GRIP Program will be available to entities, including states, tribes, utilities, and industry to support three specific topic areas:

• Topic Area 1 - Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants
• Topic Area 2 - Smart Grid Grants
• Topic Area 3 - Grid Innovation Program

Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grants in the amount of $918 million for FY24/FY25 will fund transmission and distribution solutions that will mitigate multiple hazards across a region or within a community. Project grants should focus on hardening infrastructure with digitization and automation, improving tools to restore power to the grid during outages, and investing in technologies such as advanced conductors.

Smart Grid Grants totaling $1.08 billion for FY24/FY25 should increase the flexibility, efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the electric grid, with a focus on increasing the capacity of the transmission system, improving interconnection processes, and integrating renewable energy. Grants will also be provided for projects and programs designed to facilitate the electrification of vehicles, buildings, and other grid-edge devices.

Grid Innovation Program funds of $1.82 billion for FY24/FY25 will provide grants to states, tribes, local governments, and public utility commissions to collaborate with grid owners and operators to support projects using innovative approaches to improve grid resilience and reliability. Awarded submissions will include projects to support clean energy generation, improve interregional interconnection, and use innovative technologies and approaches.

Concept papers are a required first step in the application process and are due at the close of business on January 12, 2024.

If you are considering submitting a funding request under this funding opportunity announcement for GRIP Funds, let CHA assist you in developing a submittal that meets the rigorous DOE requirements. CHA delivers a full complement of power, utility infrastructure, environmental, and asset management services under one roof. Our power services are tied by a common thread: an innovative approach to problem-solving. We embrace new, renewable technologies and strive to enhance the reliability of existing transmission and distribution networks, evaluate and retrofit facilities for smart consumption, expand alternative energy options, address complex environmental issues, and analyze geographic data to produce focused, actionable information.

As an innovative, full-service engineering consulting and construction management firm delivering sustainable, integrated solutions to the world’s most challenging infrastructure projects, we work with utilities and energy developers across the United States. You can be assured CHA can provide your team with the solutions to each unique challenge you face, from electric distribution to clean energy generation. Our client focus is driven by trust and collaboration. We study, design, manage, and build projects that power our communities and our world.