Sacramento Standard

SACRAMENTO, CA – On July 7, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) celebrates the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s announcement of $207.6 million in Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants, including an award of $67.5 million for the State of California.

Administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the Grid Resilience Grant Program was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and was based on Congresswoman Matsui’s legislation, the POWER ON Act. Co-led with former Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), this legislation was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, creating a new grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy to help states, Tribes, and utilities build a more resilient electric grid and prevent power outages due to extreme weather.

“The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was a historic victory for the American people, and this grant—helping to protect our electric grid from extreme weather and natural disasters—is an important part of that victory,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “In California, our electric grid is increasingly threatened by atmospheric rivers and other extreme weather events, and sagging power lines can also be a potential cause of devastating wildfires. I am proud to say that the Grid Resiliency Grants directly address these challenges by providing California with the necessary funding to harden our electric grid, reducing the impacts of natural disasters and the likelihood of wildfires.”

Congresswoman Matsui has been a longtime champion of policies that invest in a clean energy future for our children and for future generations. Along with co-leading the POWER ON Act, the Congresswoman fought to ensure that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act improves flood protection and water infrastructure, enhances energy efficiency at public schools, and makes investments in wildfire risk reduction.

Original source can be found here