Capito Announces IIJA Funding for FirstEnergy Grid Upgrades, Apprenticeship Program in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $50,000,000 for FirstEnergy through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ’s (IIJA) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program.

This project will support grid and transmission upgrades across West Virginia benefitting more than 50,000 customers and 450 critical facilities like schools and hospitals. Additionally, this project includes the creation of a new, four-year apprenticeship program with a training center in Fairmont, W.Va. Ranking Member Capito authored a letter in support of FirstEnergy’s application for this funding in March of this year.

“West Virginians deserve reliable access to electricity that keeps their lights on and homes warm. Initiatives like this strengthen the reliability of our grid and prevent our residents from experiencing costly interruptions that impact their lives and safety. Additionally, this project will simultaneously invest in economic development and the next generation of our workforce through the creation of an apprenticeship program based in Fairmont. This is the kind of difference I knew the IIJA could make as I helped craft the legislation, and we must continue to strengthen grid reliability and baseload power generation in our country moving forward,” Ranking Member Capito said .

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