Press Release
☷DOE Invests $44 Million to Advance a Clean Reliable Electric Grid
U.S. Department of Energy ( By Press Release office)
Mar 21,2024
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The U . S . Department of Energy ( DOE ) has announced that it will provide $34 million in funding to eleven projects aimed at improving the reliability of the electricity grid powered by wind and solar energy . In addition , DOE has also introduced a new funding opportunity of $10 million to simplify the connection of clean energy to the grid . These initiatives will allow grid planners , operators , and utility companies to more effectively connect and manage renewable energy and battery storage resources , reducing power outages caused by extreme weather . This funding will also help expedite the deployment of clean energy resources in line with President Biden ' s target of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035 . U . S . Secretary of Energy Jennifer M . Granholm emphasized the importance of connecting renewable energy sources to the grid in order to promote the adoption of clean energy . The increase in renewable generation , particularly from low - cost renewables like solar and wind , requires new tools to manage the intermittency of these technologies . As climate change worsens and demand for electricity increases , grid operations face challenges in maintaining reliability and avoiding blackouts . The selected projects under the Solar Energy Technologies Office ' s OPTIMA funding program will develop tools to optimize the integration of renewable energy technologies , making the grid more flexible and resilient . The projects include institutions such as Florida International University , Washington State University , Georgia Institute of Technology , Iowa State University , Midcontinent Independent System Operator , and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory . The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden , CO received $2 million , while the University of Connecticut in Storrs , CT and Arizona State University in Tempe , AZ each received $3 . 3 million . The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland , WA was granted $3 . 6 million , and Quanta Technology in Raleigh , NC received $3 . 8 million . The funding was provided to address the challenges of connecting renewable energy sources to the electric grid . With the expected increase in solar energy , wind energy , and energy storage resources in the coming years , the current procedures for interconnection cannot keep up . The Solar and Wind Interconnection for Future Transmission ( SWIFTR ) funding opportunity , worth $10 million , aims to improve software tools that streamline the interconnection study process for proposed renewable energy plants . These tools will provide developers with important data on transmission system characteristics , such as stability , voltage , and grid strength , and reduce wait times for new clean energy projects to come online . The SWIFTR funding opportunity is part of the Interconnection Innovation e - Xchange ( i2X ) , which was launched in 2022 to facilitate the faster , simpler , and fairer interconnection of clean energy and energy storage . In 2023 , i2X released a draft roadmap that outlines goals , solutions , and metrics for the interconnection process , with a focus on maintaining a reliable and resilient grid and increasing data access and transparency . The funding opportunity is subject to negotiation between DOE and the applicants , and DOE reserves the right to cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason .
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