DOE awards $581 million to TVA for 84 grid projects across eight states
The award, effective upon agreement, funds transmission upgrades for 2.5 GW serving 2.58 million families and businesses.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced support for the Tennessee Valley Authority in funding 84 transmission and distribution projects across eight states. The projects are expected to add approximately 2.5 gigawatts of grid capacity to improve reliability.
The award totals approximately $581 million, including $250 million in federal funding and about $331 million in applicant cost-share funding. Under the Resilience Amplified: Multi-Market Grid Interconnection Initiative, the investments will help 2.58 million families and businesses and are estimated to support about 800 jobs.
"Since day one, President Trump has recognized that years of misguided energy policies under the previous administration left our bulk power system less robust than it should be," said Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly. "These investments with TVA will help reduce congestion, improve efficiency, and make better use of our existing transmission system to lower costs for ratepayers while delivering affordable, reliable, and secure energy essential to American prosperity." Assistant Secretary Katie Jereza added, "By bringing TVA and local utilities together, we're helping reduce costly outages and deliver more power where it's needed."
The award builds on DOE's selection of TVA for the Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program. Together, the GRIP and SPARK projects represent nearly $741 million in planned grid investment, including approximately $329.8 million in federal support, and are expected to add more than 4,300 MW of additional grid capacity. Under SPARK, TVA will upgrade about 125 miles of existing transmission lines in Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina with a $159.7 million project that is expected to add approximately 1,900 MW of transmission capacity.
Final federal funding, project scope, schedules and other award conditions remain subject to executed DOE agreements and applicable environmental, permitting, regulatory and Tribal reviews.
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