California was awarded a large federal investment on Thursday to better prepare its electrical grid for natural disasters and extreme weather, announced U.S. Senator Alex Padilla.
Through the federal Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program, California received the most funds out of any state this year — $67 million — to bolster clean energy projects for the electrical grid.
In the next five years, the federal grant program will give $2.3 billion to state and tribal governments to invest in projects that provide the greatest community benefit for providing stable, zero-carbon energy. Projects eligible to receive their share of the investment must strengthen the state’s energy resilience with clean methods that advance the state’s commitment to a carbon-free future.
“Renewable energy has helped many parts of the country withstand a crippling heat dome, and the President’s Investing in America agenda will increase the amount of clean power sources available on the nation’s grid,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
The investment was included in both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and modeled after Padilla’s POWER ON Act, which are two initiatives aimed at providing clean, affordable and reliable energy. Padilla’s initiative was signed into law in 2021 and allocated $5 billion to prevent blackouts and wildfires caused by utilities, as well as install thousands of miles of new transmission lines.
“I’m proud that the critical funding secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, modeled off of my POWER ON Act, has brought home millions of dollars that will help California avoid shut-offs and keep the lights on,” said Padilla.”As once-in-a-generation weather events test the resiliency of our grid, these life-saving investments will ensure families – especially ones in disadvantaged communities – are not left in the dark.”
