States and utilities can submit applications to secure funding by May 20, with the department set to select projects by August.
st
Naveen Athrappully Reporter
3/14/2026|Updated: 3/14/2026
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $1.9 billion funding opportunity for projects aimed at speeding up improvements to the nation’s power grid to meet rising electricity demand while bringing down costs, the department said in a March 12 statement.
The money comes from the $10.5 billion authorized for a five-year grid resilience program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The funds were to be disbursed to states and electric utilities over five years.
The DOE will prioritize projects that replace existing power lines with higher‑capacity conductors, expand grid capacity, increase efficiency, lower prices for consumers, and improve overall system reliability and security, the statement said.
Project applications to secure funding are due by May 20, with the DOE set to select projects by August.
The funding opportunity will stabilize and optimize grid operations, strengthening it for rapid growth, said Katie Jereza, assistant secretary at the DOE’s Office of Electricity.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, “For too long, important grid modernization and energy addition efforts were not prioritized by past leaders.
“Thanks to President [Donald] Trump, we are doing the important work of modernizing our grid so electricity costs will be lowered for American families and businesses.”
DOE said its latest action was in compliance with the Jan. 20, 2025, executive order signed by Trump—“Unleashing American Energy.”
In the order, Trump said burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of America’s vast energy resources, leading to high energy costs for citizens and limited generation of reliable, affordable electricity.
The president ordered an immediate review of all agency actions that potentially burden the development of domestic energy resources.
Electricity Demand
The $1.9 billion funding to strengthen America’s grid comes amid concerns about the state of the country’s power infrastructure.
A significant portion of the power network dates back to the 1960s and ‘70s, according to an October 2023 statement from the DOE. As of 2023, 70 percent of transmission lines were over 25 years old and nearing the end of their life cycles.
“This has major consequences on our communities: power outages, susceptibility to cyberattacks, or community emergencies caused by faulty grid infrastructure,” the department said at the time.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which require large amounts of electricity, adds to the problem.
In a March 5 statement, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that much of the recent growth in electricity demand “comes from the commercial sector, which includes data centers, and the industrial sector, which includes manufacturing establishments.”
To prevent data center electricity consumption from spiking costs for residential users, Trump announced in late February that the tech companies have committed to a “rate payer protection pledge” where they will pay more for electricity used to power data centers.
In addition, these companies can “build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and, in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community, and very substantially down,” the president said.
Earlier this month, representatives from major tech companies—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI—signed the ratepayer protection pledge.
There are also concerns about the increasing share of renewable energy in power generation and the declining share of fossil fuels. Back in July, Trump had signed an executive order ending federal subsidies for wind and solar power projects, citing the unreliability of these power sources.
Trump has also taken steps to boost America’s coal sector, including signing an executive order in April last year seeking to reinvigorate the industry.
“We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies,” the order said.
Electricity output grew in the first year of the Trump administration. In 2025, net electricity generation in the United States hit a record high, rising by 2.8 percent from the previous year, the EIA said earlier this month.
Last year’s power generation growth “contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity generation between the mid-2000s and early 2020s,” the agency stated.
“Thanks to President [Donald] Trump, we are doing the important work of modernizing our grid so electricity costs will be lowered for American families and businesses.”
DOE said its latest action was in compliance with the Jan. 20, 2025, executive order signed by Trump—“Unleashing American Energy.”
In the order, Trump said burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of America’s vast energy resources, leading to high energy costs for citizens and limited generation of reliable, affordable electricity.
The president ordered an immediate review of all agency actions that potentially burden the development of domestic energy resources.
Electricity Demand
The $1.9 billion funding to strengthen America’s grid comes amid concerns about the state of the country’s power infrastructure.
A significant portion of the power network dates back to the 1960s and ‘70s, according to an October 2023 statement from the DOE. As of 2023, 70 percent of transmission lines were over 25 years old and nearing the end of their life cycles.
“This has major consequences on our communities: power outages, susceptibility to cyberattacks, or community emergencies caused by faulty grid infrastructure,” the department said at the time.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which require large amounts of electricity, adds to the problem.
In a March 5 statement, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that much of the recent growth in electricity demand “comes from the commercial sector, which includes data centers, and the industrial sector, which includes manufacturing establishments.”
To prevent data center electricity consumption from spiking costs for residential users, Trump announced in late February that the tech companies have committed to a “rate payer protection pledge” where they will pay more for electricity used to power data centers.
In addition, these companies can “build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and, in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community, and very substantially down,” the president said.
Earlier this month, representatives from major tech companies—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI—signed the ratepayer protection pledge.
There are also concerns about the increasing share of renewable energy in power generation and the declining share of fossil fuels. Back in July, Trump had signed an executive order ending federal subsidies for wind and solar power projects, citing the unreliability of these power sources.
Trump has also taken steps to boost America’s coal sector, including signing an executive order in April last year seeking to reinvigorate the industry.
“We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies,” the order said.
Electricity output grew in the first year of the Trump administration. In 2025, net electricity generation in the United States hit a record high, rising by 2.8 percent from the previous year, the EIA said earlier this month.
Last year’s power generation growth “contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity generation between the mid-2000s and early 2020s,” the agency stated.
Fair Use Notice: This website may reproduce or have links to copyrighted material the use of which has not been expressly authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available, without profit, as part of our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, economic, scientific, and related issues. It is our understanding that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided by law. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Energy Department Announces $1.9 Billion for Projects Strengthening Power Grid
by Long Islander
2 hours ago
Reporter
3/14/2026|Updated: 3/14/2026
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $1.9 billion funding opportunity for projects aimed at speeding up improvements to the nation’s power grid to meet rising electricity demand while bringing down costs, the department said in a March 12 statement.
The money comes from the $10.5 billion authorized for a five-year grid resilience program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The funds were to be disbursed to states and electric utilities over five years.
The DOE will prioritize projects that replace existing power lines with higher‑capacity conductors, expand grid capacity, increase efficiency, lower prices for consumers, and improve overall system reliability and security, the statement said.
Project applications to secure funding are due by May 20, with the DOE set to select projects by August.
The funding opportunity will stabilize and optimize grid operations, strengthening it for rapid growth, said Katie Jereza, assistant secretary at the DOE’s Office of Electricity.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said, “For too long, important grid modernization and energy addition efforts were not prioritized by past leaders.
“Thanks to President [Donald] Trump, we are doing the important work of modernizing our grid so electricity costs will be lowered for American families and businesses.”
DOE said its latest action was in compliance with the Jan. 20, 2025, executive order signed by Trump—“Unleashing American Energy.”
In the order, Trump said burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of America’s vast energy resources, leading to high energy costs for citizens and limited generation of reliable, affordable electricity.
Electricity Demand
The $1.9 billion funding to strengthen America’s grid comes amid concerns about the state of the country’s power infrastructure.“This has major consequences on our communities: power outages, susceptibility to cyberattacks, or community emergencies caused by faulty grid infrastructure,” the department said at the time.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which require large amounts of electricity, adds to the problem.
In addition, these companies can “build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and, in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community, and very substantially down,” the president said.
Trump has also taken steps to boost America’s coal sector, including signing an executive order in April last year seeking to reinvigorate the industry.
“We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies,” the order said.
Electricity output grew in the first year of the Trump administration. In 2025, net electricity generation in the United States hit a record high, rising by 2.8 percent from the previous year, the EIA said earlier this month.
Last year’s power generation growth “contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity generation between the mid-2000s and early 2020s,” the agency stated.
“Thanks to President [Donald] Trump, we are doing the important work of modernizing our grid so electricity costs will be lowered for American families and businesses.”
DOE said its latest action was in compliance with the Jan. 20, 2025, executive order signed by Trump—“Unleashing American Energy.”
In the order, Trump said burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of America’s vast energy resources, leading to high energy costs for citizens and limited generation of reliable, affordable electricity.
Electricity Demand
The $1.9 billion funding to strengthen America’s grid comes amid concerns about the state of the country’s power infrastructure.“This has major consequences on our communities: power outages, susceptibility to cyberattacks, or community emergencies caused by faulty grid infrastructure,” the department said at the time.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, which require large amounts of electricity, adds to the problem.
In addition, these companies can “build their own power plants as part of their factory, so that no one’s prices will go up and, in many cases, prices of electricity will go down for the community, and very substantially down,” the president said.
Trump has also taken steps to boost America’s coal sector, including signing an executive order in April last year seeking to reinvigorate the industry.
“We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies,” the order said.
Electricity output grew in the first year of the Trump administration. In 2025, net electricity generation in the United States hit a record high, rising by 2.8 percent from the previous year, the EIA said earlier this month.
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Fair Use Notice: This website may reproduce or have links to copyrighted material the use of which has not been expressly authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available, without profit, as part of our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, economic, scientific, and related issues. It is our understanding that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided by law. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.