The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE), is now accepting applications for Grid Resiliency Program grants. EGLE is offering over $16.3 million in matching grants to accelerate investments in the electric grid and improve Michigan’s electric reliability and resilience. Michigan’s grid is at risk due to an aging infrastructure. 

The Grid Resiliency Program aims to reduce the risk of weather-related disasters on critical facilities and outages for disadvantaged communities, which can be mitigated by grid hardening investments, microgrids, and other programs that address grid resilience. Hardening the grid for extreme storms is generally a twofold process, including investments in more aggressive vegetation management and strengthening the power system. Climate change is causing intensified storm events, resulting in adverse effects on trees, which will require a change in how rights-of-ways are maintained.  

This enhanced maintenance and hardening of grid infrastructure are called for in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, which lays out a broad vision for fulfilling the Governor's commitment for Michigan to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan focuses on actions between now and 2030 that:

• Respond to environmental injustices.
• Improve the reliability of the electric grid.
• Electrify the transportation sector.
• Repair and decarbonize buildings.
• Encourage innovation in the industry.
• Protect Michigan's land and water.   

See the new MI Healthy Climate Portal to learn more. The Grid Resiliency Program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Section 40101(d) – Formula Grants to States and Indian Tribes for Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid, and will provide funding to improve resilience and to enhance the reliability to their electric grids.

Eligible applicants include electricity providers physically located in Michigan, specifically investor-owned utilities, cooperative utilities, and municipal utilities. The total amount of funding will be divided between large operators (LO) and small operators (SO). LO, defined as utilities selling more than 4 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually, are eligible for 50 percent of the available funds. SO, defined as utilities selling not more than 4 TWh of electricity per year, are eligible for the remaining 50 percent of the funds.  

LO must provide a minimum of 100 percent (1:1) match of the total requested grant funds. SO must provide a minimum (1/3) match of the total requested grant funds.  

The Request for Proposals (RFP) and other information about this funding opportunity are available on the Grid Resiliency Web page. To apply, submit an Online Application through Survey Monkey by no later than November 17, 2023.

Questions on this RFP may be submitted by email to Lauren Magirl at [email protected].