The Biden administration announced $3.46 billion in funding today to upgrade the US’s aging electric grid, the largest investment to date in the grid. The money, which comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will go to 58 different projects across 44 states. Stressed power grids need the money badly, both to prevent blackouts and bring more clean energy online. Weather disasters supercharged by climate change have already led to more power outages in the US.
Distributed energy resources like solar panels can either connect to the larger utility-owned power grid or stand alone as part of a microgrid in case a storm or other disaster knocks out transmission lines or a power plant. Microgrids are one solution some New Orleans residents have been calling for since Hurricane Ida caused a deadly blackout in 2021.