More funds for grid modernization

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 - The Energy Department announced that $25 million is available to help software developers, solar companies, and utilities speed up the integration of solar energy into the grid. The effort, called Enabling Extreme Real-Time Grid Integration of Solar Energy (ENERGISE), seeks to develop software and hardware platforms for utility distribution system planning and operations that integrate sensing, communication, and data analytics.

“Our ongoing grid modernization work will help accelerate the widespread adoption of the clean energy resources that will define our low-carbon future. This funding will help that mission by supporting industry partners working to integrate, store, and deploy solar energy throughout our electric grid,” said Lynn Orr, DOE under secretary for science and energy. “In doing so, we hope to drive down costs and encourage even more American homeowners and businesses to install solar systems.”

The SunShot Initiative, which is managed by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), will oversee the projects associated with this funding opportunity. SunShot is a collaborative national effort launched in 2011 with the goal of making solar energy cost competitive – without subsidies – with traditional energy sources before the end of the decade. The Grid Modernization Initiative is a comprehensive effort involving DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and EERE to help shape the future of the grid and solve the challenges of integrating conventional and renewable sources with energy storage while ensuring that the grid is resilient and secure to withstand growing cybersecurity and climate challenges.

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