Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch will introduce legislation Wednesday to try to boost the adoption of microgrids across the country as the nation’s transmission system becomes increasingly strained by growing energy demand and extreme weather events.
The Supporting Transformative Resilience, Operations and Next-Generation Grid Innovation Deployment (STRONG GRID) Act comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle look for ways to improve grid resilience, especially with natural disasters causing millions of dollars in damage to electric infrastructure each year.
The bill would encourage state regulators to streamline the interconnection process for localized, independent grids while providing technical assistance to utilities and governments working on grid resilience projects. It would make microgrids eligible for funding under the Department of Energy’s State Energy Program grants.
“It’s a win-win,” Welch said in a statement. “Our bill capitalizes on the potential of microgrids to help keep essential services online and reduce the economic impact of natural disasters.”
