August 9, 2024: The Biden administration announced on August 6 that it is investing $2.2 billion to bolster the nation’s power grid to protect it against growing threats of extreme weather events.

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program and in alignment with Investing in America agenda, the DOE said that the historic investment would support eight major projects across 18 states allowing for increased manufacturing, more data centers, and improved transmission of renewable power.

The investment should stimulate nearly $10 billion in public and private investments and will modernize parts of the US grid with nearly 13GW of new capacity, including 4,800MW of offshore wind power. The upgrades could create at least 5,000 jobs and improve over 1,000 miles of transmission lines.

US secretary of energy, Jennifer Granholm, emphasized the urgency of overhauling the grid. “The first half of 2024 has already broken records for the hottest days in Earth’s history, and as extreme weather continues to hit every part of the country, we must act with urgency to strengthen our aging grid,” she said.

According to the DOE this investment is the largest direct infusion of funds into the national grid in history and is projected to deliver reliable electricity to 56 million homes and businesses.