The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Building a Better Grid Initiative, which is focused on catalyzing the nationwide development of new and upgraded high-capacity transmission lines that will connect more Americans to cleaner, cheaper energy.

Under the initiative, DOE will identify critical national transmission needs and support the buildout of long-distance, high-voltage transmission facilities to meet those needs through collaborative transmission planning, innovative financing mechanisms, coordinated permitting, and continued transmission-related research and development, reports Daily Energy Insider.

“With stronger, more sustainable energy grids, there’s nothing our nation can’t achieve!” tweeted DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm earlier this afternoon.

Specifically, the government’s new transmission buildout will make the nation’s electrical grid more reliable and resilient to climate change and is critical to achieving the president’s goal of 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, according to DOE.

“Transmission is essential to achieving our clean energy goals & to enhancing energy grid resilience,” tweeted the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which represents the nation’s investor-owned utilities. “EEI looks forward to working w/ leaders across the Biden admin. to improve policies & processes to evaluate & permit cost-effective transmission infrastructure.”

The Building a Better Grid initiative also will increase access to affordable and reliable clean energy and spur the creation of transmission jobs, which currently employ more than one million workers across the country, DOE says.

“The foundation of our climate and clean energy goals is a safe, reliable and resilient electric grid that is planned hand-in-hand with community partners and industry stakeholders,” said Secretary Granholm. “DOE’s new Building a Better Grid initiative is a job booster spurred by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and collaboration with communities to upgrade the nation’s grid, connect more Americans to clean electricity and broadband, and reliably move clean energy to where it’s needed most.”

Source: Daily Energy Insider