RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and State Energy Office, in partnership with Duke Energy, has received $57 million in federal funding to enhance the state’s electrical grid and increase capacity for renewable energy storage.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and United States Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the funding on Tuesday. The Department of Energy awarded North Carolina the $57 million through the second round of funding of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program.
Duke Energy monitoring energy usage as heat wave continues The $57 million in federal funding will cover half the costs of the reconstruction of the Lee-Milburnie 35-mile, 230kV transmission line extending through Wake, Johnston, and Wayne counties from Raleigh to Goldsboro. Duke Energy will cover the other half of the costs, according to the governor’s office.
The governor’s office says this project will help meet the growing electricity demand in eastern North Carolina and will help reduce power outages for more than 14,000 customers.
“This funding means cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable electricity for our homes and businesses,” Cooper said in a statement. “Not only will these investments from the Biden-Harris Administration help provide more electricity, it will support our growing industries and create quality jobs for people across our state.”
Governor Roy Cooper celebrates Clean Energy Week with stop in Greensboro According to the governor’s office, the GRIP program is a $10.5 billion investment intended to enhance the power grid across the country, improve resiliency against extreme weather, and ensure American communities have access to affordable and reliable electricity. The second round of funding for the GRIP program amounts of $2.2 billion. The first round amounted to $3.46 million for 58 projects across the country.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in the most crucial component of the nation’s infrastructure, expanding and hardening the grid to allow more resilient, clean power to reach more households, and support the ongoing manufacturing boom, all while creating thousands of local jobs,” Granholm said. “North Carolina is becoming a global powerhouse for clean energy and these upgrades will keep the growth coming. Through partnerships with local HBCUs and community colleges, investments in the state will create transformational, good-paying jobs for the clean energy economy of the future.”
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