The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Section 40101(d) – Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid Formula Grants to States and Indian Tribes, provides funding to states and Indian Tribes to improve resilience and to enhance the reliability to their electric grids.

In its role as the State Energy Office (SEO), the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy is responsible for distributing these grants in Delaware with a focus on targeting innovative approaches and funding gaps to improve reliability and resilience, particularly in energy burdened and disadvantaged communities with a reduced capacity to respond to power outages.

The state is expected to receive $1.4 million for each program year to invest in projects and will use a competitive application process to award funds to eligible entities.

Round 1

The SEO formed an advisory committee to recommend goals, objectives and metrics to support prioritization of resilience projects. Projects must align with Delaware’s Climate Action Plan and the Justice40 Initiative. Prioritization will be based on the community benefit associated with a project.

Timeline

February 1, 2023 Public committee meeting to introduce the program and discuss grant parameters

February 27, 2023 Public committee meeting to establish goals, metrics, and objectives for grant program

March 7, 2023 Public hearing to share Delaware’s application to USDOE with public comment

March 27, 2023 Public committee meeting to incorporate public comment into Delaware’s application to USDOE

December 12, 2023 Public engagement meeting to announce the application process for utilities

January 1, 2024 – April 1, 2024 Application period for Round 1

July 1, 2024 Committee makes final recommendations to SEO

May 30, 2025 Tentative award announcement, following DOE approval of projects

Goals

The Committee identified goals and objectives based on the needs of Delaware’s electric grid. Applications will be graded based on alignment with metrics associated with these goals and objectives.

Additional Information:

Program Overview – December 2023 

Program goals, objectives, and metrics 

USDOE Administrative and Legal Requirements Document 

Related Topics:  BIL, climate coastal energy, efficiency, energy, energy conservation, funding, grants, grid resilience, incentives, infrastructure