PUCO OK’s Area Applications for Electric Grid Projects

Article Presented By Kingston National Bank…

(PUCO Press Release) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has authorized the submission of subaward applications to the US Department of Energy (DOE) for seven grants under its Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program. US DOE will make the final determination. 

Grant applicants include: 

• AEP Ohio, $3,788,413 for undergrounding and relocating distribution lines and using cable spacer technology to mitigate vegetation-related outages in Athens, Chillicothe, Canton, and Columbus. 
• City of Columbus, $1.5 million for replacing poles and other distribution infrastructure and installing new disconnects and other equipment to improve a poorly performing circuit throughout central and northeast parts of the Columbus metropolitan area. 
• Duke Energy Ohio, $3,594,640 for transmission and distribution line work in the Butler County area, including rerouting and implementing self-healing grid technology to improve reliability. 
• Ohio Edison, $1,547,157 for upgrading poles, conductors, and other equipment within the Akron and Youngstown areas. 
• South Central Power Company, $37,730 for upgrades to support monitoring and control technologies to facilitate remote restoration on the distribution system in Fairfield, Pickaway, and Hocking counties. 
• South Central Power Company, $678,000 for reconstructing and undergrounding distribution lines in existing rights-of way in and proximate to Great Seal State Park in Ross County. 
• Village of New Knoxville, $238,338 for undergrounding a section of distribution line that supplies the Village of New Knoxville in Auglaize County. 

“These awards will assist in contributing to a resilient and reliable electric grid across Ohio,” stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French. 

Successful subawardees will have various cash match obligations depending on the size of the utility. Applicants must demonstrate proposed projects will support electric reliability and benefit the local community in the project area, with emphasis on disadvantaged communities, as identified by the US DOE.