USA - Full applications for the smart grid, grid resilience and innovation programs will be due in March, April and May, respectively.

Utility Dive has announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has opened the first round of applications for $13 billion in competitive funding for projects it says will help reduce electricity costs, boost resiliency and build out the nation's aging transmission system.

According to Utility Dive, there is $10.5 billion available for competitive grants under DOE's Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership, or GRIP, programs and $2.5 billion through the Transmission Facilitation Program. Both programs were funded by President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law, and together they "represent the largest single direct federal investment in critical transmission and distribution infrastructure," the White House said.

Full applications for the smart grid, grid resilience and innovation programs will be due in March, April and May, respectively.

Source: Utility Dive