The Energy Department plans to award as much as $220 million in research and development funds over three years to modernize the U.S. electric power distribution network through a public-private partnership.
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on Thursday unveiled a framework that calls for collaboration between department-backed national laboratories and government agencies, universities and companies in the Grid Modernization Initiative, DOE said Thursday.
“Modernizing the U.S. electrical grid is essential to reducing carbon emissions, creating safeguards against attacks on our infrastructure, and keeping the lights on,†Moniz noted.
DOE aims to integrate conventional power generation and renewable energy sources with electricity storage and smart building methods in a bid to address environmental and cybersecurity risks to the country’s grid infrastructure.
Proposed funds for the project are subject to the congressional appropriations process and will be issued through the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium, which comprises 14 national labs and public and private sector organizations.