(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is applauding the announcement made today by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that it has selected the Power Up New England proposal submitted by Connecticut and its neighboring New England states to receive an award of up to $389 million through the second round of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s competitive Grid Innovation Program (GIP).
Power Up features significant investments in regional electric infrastructure, including proactive upgrades to points of interconnection in Southeast Massachusetts and Southeast Connecticut to ready the onshore transmission system for up to 4,800 megawatts of additional offshore wind. Power Up will also deploy an innovative, multi-day battery energy storage system in Northern Maine to enhance grid resilience and optimize the delivery of renewable energy. Together, these investments will provide the New England region with access to thousands of megawatts of offshore wind, greater resource diversity, and increased reliability while lowering consumer costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are thrilled that the U.S. Department of Energy has selected Connecticut and our neighboring New England states’ Power Up New England application for a competitive grid innovation grant,” Governor Lamont said. “This selection is a strong endorsement of the New England states’ longstanding, cooperative approach to solving our region’s grid challenges, including through new and innovative technologies like offshore wind and long-duration storage that will enable us to equitably and affordably transition to a cleaner and more reliable grid.”
“The U.S. Department of Energy’s selection of Power Up New England, which comes on the heels of our recent New England Heat Pump Accelerator Coalition award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is another big win for Connecticut and our sister New England states that reflects our region’s commitment to innovation and DEEP’s successful strategy of leveraging federal funding to achieve our state’s clean energy goals in an affordable manner,” Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Power Up’s transmission upgrades will lower the cost of future offshore wind projects by providing new ready-made points on the grid for these projects to plug in reliably and affordably. Power Up’s multi-day storage project will help our region demonstrate and deploy this new technology to help balance intermittent resources and utilize clean energy to its fullest extent. Collectively, these projects will contribute to DEEP’s mission to make cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy available for the residents and businesses of our state.”
The members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation and the Connecticut General Assembly also applauded the news.
“As the catastrophic storm in Simsbury showed last weekend, severe weather events – increasing in number and intensity – require stronger action,” U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “This transformative investment of up to $389 million will strengthen our grid and power system to reduce these outages, while advancing our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding clean energy, and lowering costs for consumers. I will continue fighting for investments to strengthen and make our grid more resilient.”
“Today’s funding announcement supports Connecticut’s continued leadership in clean energy generation,” U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) said. “Together, with this funding, the New England region will be able to address climate change, create good-paying jobs, and harness the power of offshore wind to advance our clean energy goals. We will continue to pursue progress and paths toward resilient power grids and the continuous delivery of clean energy while also lowering energy costs for American families.”
“Connecticut residents need lower energy costs and more reliable electricity,” U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) said. “This $389 million Grid Innovation Program award, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will prepare points of interconnection between our region's thriving offshore wind industry and the grid to deliver clean power and lower costs to homes and businesses across New England.”
“One of our most important tools in the fight against the existential threat of climate change is investing in our energy resources,” U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said. “I am glad Connecticut will receive funding from the Grid Innovation Program to improve our grid and resilience in the face of climate change.”
“Power Up New England represents a transformational, bold vision to enhance the reliability of our regional electric grid and bring consumers’ electric rates down,” U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) said. “Only by updating our transmission infrastructure and energy storage capacity will we be able to harness the full potential of Northeast offshore wind. This grant will allow us to do just that, connecting our state – and New England – to new sources of clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering consumers’ electric bills.”
“Power Up New England is about more than incorporating energy generated by offshore wind, it also supports underinvested communities by creating good-paying jobs and scholarship opportunities for those who would benefit the most,” U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) said. “This is a first step in increasing the amount of renewable energy we use to power our homes and communities. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for their continued leadership on climate action.”
State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex), co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, said, “Today’s funding announcement is the result of a great effort on the part of Governor Lamont, Commissioner Dykes, and the legislature and its efforts to continue to pursue regional initiatives to improve our electric grid and make it ready for offshore wind and other renewables that are going to be coming on stream.”
“Connecticut’s energy future is predicated on the expansion of zero-carbon generation sources like solar and wind,” State Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport), co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, said, “The federal dollars will go a long ways to facilitating that transition, including the build out of a robust transmission infrastructure network to distribute these new resources and maintain a resilient electric grid. This is a big win for Connecticut and the region.”
“I am grateful that this Power Up Project has received the approval to move forward and will be a key to advancing New England’s goal to interconnect offshore wind to the grid, increasing grid resilience, and bringing clean energy to the communities who need it most,” State Representative Holly Cheeseman (R-East Lyme, Montville, Salem), a member of the Energy and Technology Committee, said. “The project also includes the construction of a new switching station in Montville and connecting that switching station to the existing transmission grid in the area. This investment will be a valuable addition to the property tax base in Montville, which will certainly benefit the taxpayers.”
Power Up prioritizes disadvantaged communities in the region to ensure that they benefit from the infrastructure investments needed to support clean energy development – a priority for DOE and state energy offices. Power Up will uplift disadvantaged communities through high-quality jobs and workforce development and training opportunities, including more than $9 million in scholarships, the creation of nearly 500 high-quality jobs, and a total community benefit investment of roughly $18 million.
The portion of the Community Benefits Plan directly impacting Connecticut includes $4 million to establish the Connecticut Institute for Clean Energy at the University of Connecticut. The Institute will help to expand the sustainable energy workforce in the state and region through scholarships, real-world engagement on offshore wind projects, and certificate programs relating to offshore wind, with a particular focus on engagement with individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. A further $1 million will be allocated for direct community benefits to the host communities, focusing on the key principles of community and labor engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and the Justice40 Initiative.
GIP is administered through DOE’s $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to fund projects that improve grid reliability and resilience using advanced technologies and innovative partnerships and approaches. The typical maximum award per project is $250 million, however, as a significant transmission investment, Power Up qualifies for a higher award amount. In the first round of GIP, only one project received an award greater than $250 million.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the New Hampshire Department of Energy, the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, and the Vermont Department of Public Service submitted Power Up into the second round of DOE’s GIP in April 2024. The application was supported by Power Up’s project developers Form Energy, Eversource Energy, and National Grid.
Connecticut’s partners in Power Up celebrated today’s announcement.
Maine Governor Janet Mills said, “Maine is a national leader in advancing clean energy and innovation, which will strengthen our economy, stabilize high energy costs driven by fossil fuels, and create good job opportunities all across our state. This award is a recognition of that leadership. Through collaboration with other New England states to develop innovative energy solutions like Power Up, Maine is taking proactive steps to ensure our energy future is clean, reliable, and affordable. I thank the Biden-Harris administration for this investment and for its support of our work to build a more resilient, clean electrical grid that can withstand the impacts of a changing climate.”
Dan Burgess, Director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, said, “By embracing regional collaboration, Maine and New England are advancing necessary upgrades that will make the electric grid more resilient and allow it to deliver more clean energy to households and businesses. I thank DOE and the Biden-Harris administration for this award and for its continued support of ongoing efforts to decarbonize and strengthen electric grid infrastructure across Maine and New England.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said, “Massachusetts is moving full speed ahead on clean energy and climate-tech. These game-changing federal funds will mean more jobs, lower energy costs for families and businesses, and cleaner air for all. We’re grateful to DOE for the recognition and support.”
Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said, “With Power Up, we are shifting the way we bring offshore wind into our grid. We’ve done the hard work to coordinate with ISO New England and developers to ensure we’re making smart, targeted investments to ready our electric grid. DOE’s funding announcement is the perfect crescendo to recent developments in regional transmission policy. We thank the Biden-Harris administration for this transformational investment in Massachusetts’ clean energy future and New England’s shared power grid.”
New Hampshire Department of Energy Commissioner Jared Chicoine said, “Power Up contains innovative approaches that will lower New Hampshire’s electricity costs while increasing reliability. This regional effort addresses the challenges of building large-scale infrastructure and will allow cost-saving projects to move forward.”
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said, “This federal funding award is critical to advancing New England’s offshore wind opportunities, improving our regional energy system, and aligning with our Act on Climate clean energy development objectives. I am so proud of the strong collaboration by the New England State Energy Offices in securing these federal funds for our collective consumers, which will provide long-term benefits.”
Acting Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources Commissioner Chris Kearns said, “The Power Up New England award from the U.S. Department of Energy marks an important milestone in Rhode Island and New England’s development of offshore wind and battery energy storage opportunities. These federal funds will help secure long-term improvements to our region’s energy system for consumers, help accelerate the development of offshore wind, and advance our respective states' climate goals.”
Vermont Governor Phil Scott said, “This is a great example of states coming together to tackle issues that impact our entire region. As we work to reduce carbon emissions through more electrification, and as we continue to see more intense storms in Vermont, this will be an important project to improve the resiliency of the grid.”
Vermont Department of Public Service Commissioner June Tierney said, “The Vermont Department of Public Service is pleased to partner in this effort, which is a prime example of common purpose and effective advocacy among the New England state. The willingness and ability to work together productively is pivotal in order for the region to meet its energy security needs.”
Maria Robinson, director of the Grid Deployment Office for the U.S. Department of Energy, said, “Extreme weather events fueled by climate change will continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems, but the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda will ensure America’s power grid can provide reliable, affordable power. The projects selected today will catalyze nearly $10 billion total in public and private investment to increase the capacity of our existing transmission system by leveraging innovative grid technologies and solutions. We look forward to working with the New England States as we support projects that will harden systems, improve energy reliability and affordability – all while generating union jobs for highly skilled workers.”
Bill Quinlan, President of Transmission and Offshore Wind Projects at Eversource Energy, said, “This award is a win-win for all stakeholders and a testament to the importance of collaboration between utilities, states, developers and other key partners as we work towards our shared goal of a clean and equitable energy future. We look forward to advancing our transformative transmission project, the Huntsbrook Offshore Wind Hub in southeastern Connecticut, to realize the many benefits it will deliver to our customers and the region, including a more reliable and resilient electric grid, emission reductions and significant economic development – including creating jobs and significant local benefits – over the project’s lifetime.”
Lisa Wieland, president of National Grid New England, said, “National Grid is a proud participant in the Power Up New England proposal, a multi-year initiative that seeks to leverage federal funding for regional clean energy investments. The Department of Energy selection is an important step and we look forward to the work ahead as we engage with stakeholders to advance our shared clean energy goals.”
Mateo Jaramillo, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, said, “We are pleased to be selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for the Power Up New England initiative to deploy an 85 MW/8500 MWh multi-day battery system, which marks a significant milestone on multiple fronts. Located at the site of a former paper mill in rural Maine, this iron-air battery system will have the most energy capacity of any battery system announced yet in the world. The project will ensure a more reliable, clean, and affordable grid in New England by reducing transmission congestion and making valuable wind energy resources available when and where they are needed. By locating the project at an EPA brownfield site, we look forward to driving local job growth and other community benefits. Overall, we are deeply thankful to the team of state and federal partners for bringing us on board for Power Up New England – a transformative investment in the future of clean energy for New England and America.”
