US to invest $2.2 billion to overhaul national power grid

(Reuters) -The Biden administration said on Tuesday it is investing $2.2 billion to revamp the nation's power grid to protect it against growing threats of extreme weather events.

The U.S. government has been working to overhaul the country's electric transmission system, which is under pressure from extreme weather conditions, as well as a growing number of power-hungry data centers.

The upgrades to the grid will add nearly 13 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, and will also allow for increased manufacturing, more data centers, and improved transmission of renewable power, the Department of Energy said in a statement.

The funding will support eight projects across 18 states.

"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," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Varun H K)