The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is investing in grid improvements in Oklahoma as part of a $5.25 billion initiative called SPARK (Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades). Announced on Thursday, this initiative will support 31 projects across 26 states, with the aim of enhancing grid reliability and reducing electricity costs for approximately 100 million Americans.
Here’s a breakdown of the funding:
- Total Initiative Funding: $5.25 billion
- Federal Funding from DOE: $1.9 billion
- Recipient Cost-sharing Funding: $3.35 billion
Project recipients will work on:
- Reconductoring or rebuilding over 1,500 miles of transmission lines
- Deploying Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) across nearly 21,000 miles
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright emphasized that these initiatives are aimed at lowering electricity prices and strengthening the grid, ultimately making an additional 23 gigawatts of electricity capacity available.
The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services’ Three Corner Connectors project is set to receive funding under this initiative, with a total project value of $832.17 million. This project will link the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in Oklahoma with the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) in Colorado, enhancing transfer capability between the Eastern and Western Interconnections.
For more details about the SPARK initiative, you can click here.
