The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has announced a partnership with 15 local power companies and the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association to apply for $350 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. The funds aim to support 141 energy security projects to provide reliable, affordable, and clean electricity to local communities.

Major Project Initiatives

If awarded, these grants will facilitate the construction of an inter-regional 800 MW transmission line and increase grid capacity by about 5,500 MW. Additionally, the funding will help unlock over 6 GW of solar power in TVA's interconnection queue, promoting economic growth and expanding clean energy across seven states. Through various partnerships, TVA has already secured over $300 million in federal funding for 15 community projects via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Strategic Importance for Regional Growth

"With the sustained growth we're seeing across the region, we developed this coalition to leverage this historic funding opportunity to add transmission and distribution capacity for the 10 million people in the Valley," said Cindy Herron, TVA Federal Funding Vice President. "If awarded, these DOE grants will help meet our region's growth challenges by funding innovative solutions that will deliver vast amounts of affordable, clean energy and a sustained, competitive advantage to communities we support."

Projected Regional Impact

The Tennessee Valley region is growing three times faster than the national average, with the University of Tennessee's Baker School projecting a 22% population increase by 2050. In response, TVA is building over 3,800 MW of additional generation capacity, including solar, energy storage, combustion turbines, and combined-cycle natural gas. To date, TVA has more than 4,000 MW of solar energy either in service or under construction and aims for 10,000 MW of renewable energy by 2035, with a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Benefits of GRIP Funding

Securing GRIP funding will help TVA deliver reliable, affordable, resilient, and clean energy to homes and businesses. Key benefits include:

• Advancing quality of life in nearly 600 disadvantaged communities.
• Creating approximately 800 jobs and expanding relationships with minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses.
• Investing $760 million in disadvantaged communities to support schools, hospitals, public safety organizations, and emergency shelters.
• Directly improving the lives of over 2.5 million customers while reducing power bills and increasing access to renewable energy for 10 million consumers.
• Strengthening the power grid by adding advanced conductors that increase powerline capacity by 250%.
• Mitigating risks from extreme weather events like heat, wildfires, tornadoes, and storms.

The DOE is administering $10.5 billion in GRIP grants to enhance grid flexibility and improve resilience against extreme weather and climate change. If funded, TVA's projects will support state, regional, and national efforts to transition to a cleaner and more reliable grid.

"With nearly 60% carbon-free generation, we know we can do more, faster, should we be awarded this GRIP funding," Herron added. "TVA is the clean energy model for the nation, and we will continue to partner to build a better future for everyone we serve."

Source: tdworld.com