Brady PieperThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing almost $29 million to advance an electrical grid project in Tallahassee, Florida, establishing preventative measures to protect communities from extreme weather events.
The federal grant, administered by the DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, will create a more resilient, sustainable and clean energy system in Tallahassee and mitigate potential damage caused by hurricanes and threats of climate change. Led by the Tallahassee Electric & Gas Utility (Utility), the nearly $40 million project will allow community hubs and essential services to operate during disruptive events.
“The residents of Florida repeatedly bear the impacts of extreme weather change,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said. “The Administration’s Investing in America agenda has delivered the largest grid investment in U.S. history, adding more power to the grid faster, improving reliability and resilience and investing in innovative technologies so all Americans can have access to affordable, reliable energy.”
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The funding for the grant comes from the second round of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) Program, a $10.5 billion federal grant initiative seeking to enhance grid flexibility and national power system resilience. Backed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, GRIP advances both state and federal efforts to rebuild damaged infrastructure, homes and utilities and strengthen existing structures for future extreme weather events.
The $28.7 million GRIP grant will enable the Utility to deploy a large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) to protect critical community facilities and reduce the costs of energy for residents. To be installed at the Birmingham Street Substation, the system would be designed to provide backup power to critical facilities and ensure the continuity of essential services during power outages.
The proposed installation would provide immediate technical benefits to the local workforce. The Utility will partner with the Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER) Center at Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering to engage with community organizations, residents and other universities on the project.
This community and research institution partnership will also result in the issuance of 30 Clean Energy Trades certificates to provide additional opportunities for trainees to get involved.
In addition to workforce benefits, the Utility will modernize grid infrastructure by deploying automated devices to support an increase in electric usage, including reclosers, sectionalizers, capacitor banks and fiber optic cables.
Florida’s project will advance ongoing efforts to further accelerate the adoption of innovative grid technologies, improve transportation permitting processes and ensure that the electric grid is prepared for the demands of a more electrified future.
This GRIP investment will also align with the federal Justice40 initiative, which seeks to direct 40% of the benefits of federal investments in clean energy and climate action to disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized or overburdened by pollution.
Building upon previous investments in resilient infrastructure, the DOE is prioritizing community projects that fortify at-risk regions against extreme weather events. In October, GRIP awarded $600 million in funding to harden electrical infrastructure in regions affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Tallahassee’s GRIP project highlights federal efforts to reinforce power infrastructure against weather and climate change, capping more than $2 billion in funding under GRIP’s recent second round.
GRIP’s first round, administered in October 2023, awarded $3.46 billion in grants to fund innovative approaches to grid modernization and deliver new renewable energy to the nation’s homes, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Extending the feds’ grid-hardening efforts, the DOE will launch a third round for the GRIP program sometime in 2025, negotiating award totals after selections are announced. More information on the GRIP program and other electrical grid-strengthening initiatives can be found on the DOE’s website.
