By Alex Gault | Watertown Daily Times
New York has received $24 million in federal funding to help shore up the statewide electrical grid and prepare it for extreme weather.
On Monday, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul announced the grant money, which will be distributed to publicly-owned and privately-held power projects by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Over two years, NYSERDA will run a competitive selection process to fund projects to improve the resilience of the state electrical grid in storms and severe weather events.
Money will also be given to projects to develop data and metrics to track the condition of the electrical system, identifying failure points before they break and interrupt electrical service, programs to reduce carbon emissions and help restore environmental justice for the communities most impacted by climate change, efforts to cut electrical costs and reduce bills for the consumer, and to the NYSERDA workforce development programs that train people for jobs in green energy.
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said the grant money is a boon for New York.
“Winter is coming for New York state, and New Yorkers know all to well how powerful storms can knock out electricity and put communities at risk,” he said. “This major nearly $24 million federal investment will help strengthen and modernize our state’s electric grid to become more resilient in the face of extreme weather, all while creating jobs and increasing access to affordable and clean energy.”
The money comes from the Grid Resilience and Tribal Formula Grant program, run by the U.S Department of Energy and funded by last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that has pumped billions of federal dollars into infrastructure projects across the U.S.
Hochul said New York’s distribution will be used in a way that helps the state meet the emission goals set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that aims to have New York completely…
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