July 7, 2023 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla announced that California was awarded an initial $67 million in funding, the most of any state this year, through the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program. This funding – included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and modeled after Padilla’s POWER ON Act – will minimize the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters on our electrical grid while ensuring the benefits of clean, safe, affordable, and reliable energy are shared by all, particularly those in disadvantaged communities and communities with critical energy resilience needs. Selected projects will be used to advance California’s goal of achieving 100 percent clean energy through resilience solutions that deploy zero-carbon energy resources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

“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 Senator 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.”    

“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. “DOE is excited to announce a continued stream of funding aimed at strengthening America’s workforce and preparing the nation for a more resilient, clean energy future. These grants will help modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters while enhancing power sector reliability.”

Over the next five years, the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants will distribute a total of $2.3 billion to States, Territories, and federally recognized tribes, including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations, based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts. The States, Territories, and tribes will then award these funds to complete a diverse set of projects, with priority given to efforts that generate the greatest community benefit while providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy.  

Senator Padilla has successfully championed grid resiliency. He previously introduced the bipartisan POWER On Act to help strengthen electric grid infrastructure against extreme weather. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden in 2021 as part of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with $5 billion authorized over five years to help prevent blackouts, shutoffs and utility-caused wildfires. The law also funds thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy and create a new Grid Deployment Authority, invest in research and development for advanced transmission and electricity distribution technologies, and promote smart grid technologies that deliver flexibility and resilience.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla