Gov. Roy Cooper and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced $57 million in new funding today (Aug. 6) to rebuild transmission lines in North Carolina to accommodate more renewable energy capacity – a major step toward ensuring that the state has reliable electricity while driving down costs for families and businesses.
The funding is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and will go toward reconstructing a 35-mile transmission line from Raleigh to Goldsboro. In the wake of widespread power outages during recent extreme weather events like Winter Storm Elliott, estimates indicate the new project will reduce power outages for 14,000 North Carolina ratepayers.
The news comes as the North Carolina Utilities Commission holds hearings on Duke Energy’s plans for the state – and mounting pressure on the utility from the Sierra Club and other advocates to enhance and strengthen transmission capacity.
Dave Rogers, a Durham resident and Deputy Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, released the following statement:
“After getting hit by blackouts caused by extreme weather and rising prices on our electric bills, this is exactly the kind of investment North Carolinians need to keep the lights on and our bills manageable. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, thousands of North Carolina homes and businesses will soon have access to more reliable and more affordable renewable energy. There’s no reason to stop here – Duke needs to move forward with strengthening the grid and building new transmission capacity across the state so North Carolinians don’t have to feel the heat of unreliable electricity any longer.”
Background
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, utility companies can apply for funding support through the $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership program (GRIP). GRIP program was designed to facilitate the upgrade of the United States' transmission system, which is rapidly approaching the end of its lifespan and deliver reliable, affordable, renewable energy across the country.