The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that 20 high-voltage, interstate transmission and community infrastructure projects across 16 states will receive up to $371 million in grant funding.
According to the department’s website, the funding is part of the Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) Grant Program and intended to “accelerate the permitting” of these transmission projects, which will occur “along major new and upgraded transmission lines.”
The TSED Grant Program is a $760 million total investment through the Inflation Reduction Act. It includes grants for siting and permitting activities, and grants for economic development activities. Four of the 20 selected projects are siting and permitting projects, which received more than $17 million in funding combined, while the other 16 were economic development projects which received a combined investment of over $353 million.
One of the projects selected, which will see a microgrid powered by renewable energy constructed at a school complex in Barnstable, Massachusetts, was highlighted in a recent article in Engineering News-Record. This project received $42 million in TSED funding.
Barnstable, a Cape Cod town of less than 50,000 people, and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources plan to build the microgrid at the Barnstable High School and Intermediate School complex. Options being considered reportedly include a mix of solar canopies, rooftop solar, HVAC electrification, fleet charging and battery storage infrastructure.
“We’re investing in clean energy for the sake of our children, and it is exciting that workforce development and training opportunities be offered for Barnstable High students,” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a statement.
The DOE expects to release the second TSED funding opportunity in Fall 2024.
America’s Transmission Problems
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America’s energy infrastructure a C- in its 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
Specifically, the ASCE pointed to the 638 transmission outage events reported from 2014 to 2018, which were mainly blamed on severe weather.
“Additionally, distribution infrastructure struggles with reliability, with 92% of all outages occurring along these segments,” the ASCE wrote. “In the coming years, additional transmission and distribution infrastructure, smart planning, and improved reliability are needed to accommodate the changing energy landscape, as delivery becomes distributed, and renewables grow.”
According to the ASCE, annual spending on high voltage transmission lines grew from $15.6 billion in 2012 to $21.9 billion in 2017. Spending has only increased as federal funding has stepped up to address reliability issues.
GPRS Services Support Transmission Projects
You don’t want subsurface damage to derail your transmission project – especially when that project is supported by federal funding.
The average total cost (including direct and indirect cost) of a single utility strike is $234,324, according to data compiled from the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) and Common Ground Alliance.
Since 2001, GPRS has partnered with major companies like Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Ameren, and Exelon to complete Transmission ROW scanning and substation projects.
When clients seek out a utility locating company, they aim to work with the best. At GPRS, we take pride in our extensive experience and expertise. Our highly trained project managers deliver prompt and precise reports on subsurface utilities, enabling you to complete your projects safely and effectively. We have experience across various T&D settings, including overhead transmission rebuilds, underground transmission planning, substation as-built updates, foundation mapping, and more. With our wide range of reporting options, we offer clients current records of underground utilities for future reference.
At GPRS, we Intelligently Visualize The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize?
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of informational output is provided when GPRS conducts a utility locate?
Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.
GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor. Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.
Can you find PVC piping and other non-conductive utilities?
GPR scanning is exceptionally effective at locating all types of subsurface materials. There are times when PVC pipes do not provide an adequate signal to ground penetrating radar equipment and can’t be properly located by traditional methods. However, GPRS Project Managers are expertly trained at multiple methods of utility locating.
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