Governor Cooper Announces Federal Funding to Expand Renewable Energy Capacity

RALEIGH, N.C. – Gov. Roy Cooper joined U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to announce new funding through the Department of Energy to improve North Carolina’s electricity grid and increase renewable energy storage capacity. They were joined by N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth Biser and other officials as they announced a second round of funding through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program at Duke Energy’s Garner facility.

“This funding means cheaper, cleaner, more reliable electricity for our homes and businesses” said Governor Cooper. “These investments by the Biden-Harris Administration will not only help bring more electricity to the state, but will also support our growing industries and create high-quality jobs for residents across the state.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in the nation’s most critical infrastructure, expanding and strengthening the grid to bring more resilient, clean energy to more homes and support the ongoing manufacturing boom — all while creating thousands of local jobs.” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “North Carolina is becoming a global clean energy powerhouse—and these improvements will sustain that growth. Through partnerships with local HBCUs and community colleges, investments in the state will create transformational, well-paying jobs for the clean energy economy of the future.”

“This grant project is a great example of federal, state and local partnerships that benefit North Carolinians as we work to build storm resilience and capacity for future clean energy growth.” said Elizabeth Biser, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

“The grant announced today by the Department of Energy is a win for the communities Duke Energy serves and evidence that North Carolina is a leader in the energy transition.” said Kendal Bowman, president of Duke Energy in North Carolina. “This project will help reduce power outages, increase the resilience of the energy system to extreme weather events, bring more clean energy sources into the grid, and create new employment opportunities and partnerships with community organizations.”

Established under bipartisan infrastructure law, the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) Program is a $10.5 billion investment to improve the nation’s power grid, increase resilience to extreme weather events, and ensure that American communities have access to affordable, reliable electricity when and where they need it.

Today’s announcement marks a second round of $2.2 billion in funding for the GRIP program. The first funding opportunity was $3.46 billion for 58 projects nationwide.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and State Energy Office, in partnership with Duke Energy, have been selected to receive $57 million to rebuild the 35-mile, 230-kV Lee-Milburnie transmission line that spans Wake, Johnston and Wayne counties from Raleigh to Goldsboro. The funding will cover 50 percent of the project cost, with Duke Energy covering the remaining 50 percent. The project will help meet growing electricity demand in eastern North Carolina and help reduce power outages for more than 14,000 customers.