Office of Energy Development to improve regional grid with $500 million in grants

The Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) has been awarded $249.6 million from the Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office for project RELIEF (Reliable Electric Lines: Infrastructure Expansion Framework). An additional $252 million in matching dollars will be provided by project partners, PacifiCorp and Garkane Power, bringing the total funding to over half a billion dollars to improve the power grid reliability in the state, OED said.

RELIEF is an interstate and public-private interagency project that brings together Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming; the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO); California Independent System Operator; Western Power Pool; Utah State University; various vendors; and matching partners, PacifiCorp and Garkane Power. This project aims to deploy advanced high-temperature, low-sag conductor cables, significantly improving grid reliability for 700,000 utility customers across five states (Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming) and five tribal nations. By leveraging existing rights of way across 250 miles of power lines, RELIEF will boost transmission capacity, integrate more than 500 megawatts of renewable energy and prevent over 5,500 hours of potential outages.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that modern society exists because of energy,” said OED Acting Director Dusty Monks. “We need energy to sustain our way of life, to continue to advance and to unleash our potential. RELIEF uses cutting-edge grid technologies so that Utah and our neighbors across the West can provide the reliable, affordable and adequate energy our communities need. It also shows the power of collaborations, bringing together states, industry and other organizations.”

“Securing federal funding to install advanced conductors is a transformative step toward modernizing our energy infrastructure,” said Curt Mansfield, PacifiCorp’s senior vice president of power delivery. “This investment not only enhances grid reliability and resilience but also supports the integration of renewable energy sources, driving us closer to a more sustainable and efficient energy future.”

A key focus of the project is on vulnerable communities and workforce development. About 55 percent of RELIEF’s efforts directly benefit underserved communities, and the project is expected to create 500 new jobs, achieved in part through a $12 million investment in pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, master electricians and other workforce training opportunities for more than 150 high schools and community colleges across rural and disadvantaged communities.

“This landmark initiative will substantially increase the resilience of the West’s grid and resources for developing the energy workforce of tomorrow. It also highlights the importance of bringing multiple stakeholders to the table, including government, industry and energy-related organizations,” an OED release said.