Under the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) in Florida a grant worth $5.8 million to progress towards its initiative to storm-harden and modernize the Fort Pierce electric grid ensuring grid reliability and quality of service for customers.
The FPUA’s grant funded project include upgrading two substation transformers to accommodate growing electric demand; replace four distribution transformers for modernization; upgrade a substation to ring bus configuration for modernization and automation, and install 400 mounted reclosers to reduce outage frequency and duration.
“These projects empower FPUA to maintain reliable electric service while reducing impacts on the grid caused by unexpected outages, extreme weather, and natural disasters,” said Javier Cisneros, FPUA Director of Utilities. “This project also represents tremendous effort by our electric and grant writing teams to build more resilient and sustainable infrastructure for Fort Pierce with support from grant funding.”
The other projects led by FPUA include relocating the sewer treatment plant off the Indian River Lagoon; lining sewer pipes with PVC to protect against inflow and outflow from cracks in aging clay pipes; installing several more acres of seagrass grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Resilient Florida program and more.
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever direct investment in critical grid infrastructure, supporting projects that will harden systems, improve energy reliability and affordability,” said U.S Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm. “Extreme weather events fueled by climate change will continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems, but President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will ensure America’s power grid can provide reliable, affordable power.”
