(The Center Square) – Nine states and three tribal nations were awarded $207.6 million in federal grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Last Thursday, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Oregon would receive almost $20 million in funding from the awarded federal grants. The money will be used to upgrade Oregon’s electrical grid systems to withstand extreme weather conditions in low-income communities and on tribal lands.
“Oregon families without means and Tribal families in Oregon have been on the front lines of the climate emergency in their communities – some losing power for days due to winter storms, and others losing acres of land from wildfires sparked by aging power lines,” said U.S Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill was signed into law by President Biden in 2021 and included funding for the modernization of essential infrastructure in Western states, one of which is the Disaster Safe Power Grid Act introduced by Senator Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
“Oregonians shouldn’t have to worry about their life being at risk because they’ve been stranded for days or weeks on end without electricity, or because a stray power line spark started a catastrophic wildfire,” Merkley said. “Especially as summer droughts and intense winter storms become more common, now is the time to invest in our power grids and reduce the chance of outages or sparks.”
The Disaster Safe Power Grid Act ensures “that power companies do their part to reduce the risks of blackouts and wildland fires through power system upgrades, fire and disaster safety equipment installation, and proper vegetation management” with the assistance of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) $10 billion-per-year matching grant program for power companies.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm stated, “DOE is excited to announce a continued stream of funding aimed at strengthening America’s workforce and preparing the nation for a more resilient, clean energy future. These grants will help modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters while enhancing power sector reliability.”
Portland General Electric President and CEO Maria Pope, Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn, and Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association Executive Director Ted Case all applauded the passage of the Disaster Safe Power Grid Act and can now benefit from the announced funding for upgrades.
Wyden secured $5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Oregon and the country to provide for the modernization of the power grid to better handle natural disasters and extreme weather.
“The climate fight must include a significant investment in making our power grid more resilient to extreme weather events, especially for families trying to make ends meet and the Tribes that have inhabited this land since time immemorial. We cannot wait to act on this public safety issue,” he commented.
