The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected National Grid for a $50 million grant to deploy its Future Grid Project worth $140 million to boost usage of distributed energy resources (DERs) and improve electric system reliability and resilience, under the Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) Program.
"As we strive to accelerate the clean energy transition, the advanced software technology we've proposed will not only allow for faster and easier integration of decarbonized resources but also will unlock the full value of these resources for the benefit of our customers and the grid,” said Stephen Woerner, President of National Grid, New England.
The project will deploy digital technology solutions to benefit disadvantaged communities in New York and Massachusetts to not only improve electric system reliability and resilience but also bring more clean energy resources to those areas.
The project is expected to maximize the value of DERs through advanced network management, resource orchestration and control.
It will be based on foundational grid modernization investments implemented in electric service territories in New York and Massachusetts, including advanced metering infrastructure, advanced distribution management systems, distributed energy resource management systems and more.
The project is expected to expand training and pre-apprenticeship programs in partnership with several local community-serving institutes.
“This Future Grid project will help us meet our decarbonization goals and create clean energy jobs while also ensuring affordable electricity services for New Yorkers and critically disadvantaged communities across the state,” said U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko of New York.
"Clean distributed energy technologies offer tremendous benefit for ratepayers in Massachusetts," said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. "Our climate goals demand a future-ready electric grid to integrate an increasing amount of renewable energy generation and grid enhancing technologies like those provided by the Future Grid Project will support a clean energy grid and reduce the need for expensive traditional grid upgrades."
