Michigan to divvy $16M in grants to upgrade failure-prone power grid - MLive.com

Michigan to divvy $16M in grants to upgrade failure-prone power grid - mlive.com

LANSING, MI – Michigan state environmental regulators will divvy up more than $16 million in federal infrastructure funding to utilities and power cooperatives to improve the resiliency of the state’s aging electric grid.

The state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is taking grant applications for its grid resiliency program. The goal is to fund grid hardening efforts, such as microgrids, increased tree trimming, and technology upgrades, among others.

A minimum of $16.3 million is expected to be available for the first two years of the project.

Related: Ice storm showcased Michigan’s fragile electric grid. Here’s what could be done to bolster it

State officials said climate change is causing intensified storms, which results in more fallen branches and trees. That will require a change in how utility line rights-of-way areas are maintained.

Improving the reliability of Michigan’s electric grid is among the goals in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate action plan.

Eligible grant applicants include electricity providers in Michigan, specifically investor-owned utilities, co-ops, and municipal utilities. Funding will be evenly divided between large and small power providers.

Related: Michigan’s utilities struggle to keep the power on as climate change intensifies

The application deadline is Nov. 17 and projects must be completed by September 2025.

Program funding comes from infrastructure investment and jobs allocations within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This new grant opportunity comes amid heightened attention to Michigan’s failure-prone power grid, as the frequency and strength of damaging storms both increased in recent years.

State utility regulators increased oversight of Michigan’s largest two utilities – Consumers and DTE – through independent audits and technical conference consultations. The Michigan Public Service Commission is even considering a proposal to financially penalize the companies for repetitive and lengthy power outages by connecting earnings to how quickly electricity is restored after major storms.

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