WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) today announced the award of $2,919,819 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant program to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this grant will help bolster the resilience and reliability of Delaware’s electric grid in the face of climate-driven extreme weather events and natural disasters.
“As climate change continues to fuel more frequent and destructive extreme weather, power outages and damage to our electrical grid are top of mind for many Delawareans,” said Senator Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Fortunately, thanks to our investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the First State is receiving critical funding to boost our electrical grid’s resilience. This will not only help keep the lights on during future storms but also create good-paying jobs in Delaware.”
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver for Delawareans,” said Senator Coons. “As the nation’s lowest-lying state, Delaware is uniquely at risk from the impacts of climate change, and these funds will play a critical role in ensuring our state’s electrical grid is prepared to cope with extreme weather events that are hitting Delaware with increasing frequency.”
“As we continue to face an increase in extreme weather events exacerbated by the climate crisis, ensuring that Delaware’s electric grid can continue to withstand intense conditions has never been more important,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I am proud to join Senator Carper and Senator Coons in announcing this funding for Delaware’s electric grid, made possible by the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to keep our electric grid safe and secure so it can support Delawareans across the First State.”
“Ensuring our energy grid can handle any unforeseen event is a priority for all Delawareans,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “This funding will empower the utilities in their efforts to help us ensure grid stability today, and help us accommodate the demands that come with bringing more clean energy sources online. It will also help us move forward in improving our resiliency to the impacts of climate change, including increasingly higher temperatures and more frequent and intense storms.”
BACKGROUND
Authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOE’s Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant program includes $2.5 billion over five years for states, territories, and tribes. The grants will help modernize the electric grid to reduce the impacts of climate-driven extreme weather and natural disasters while also ensuring the reliability of the power sector. For more information on Delaware’s planned activities, click here.
