PSE Receives $45 Million for Skagit River Valley Project | News

Puget Sound Energy's Skagit River Valley Transformation for Climate Resiliency project has been selected for a $45 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program.

The grant will provide PSE with funding to conduct a strategic system underground relocation to prevent service interruptions, implement situational awareness technologies for faster response times, and add microgrid and black start capabilities to quickly restore operations using zero-carbon hydropower from the Baker River Hydroelectric Project, says a press release from PSE.

“This funding accelerates a critical, multi-faceted project in an area of ​​our service area that has historically experienced lower power reliability and is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as wildfires, floods and severe storms,” said Mary Kipp. President and CEO of Puget Sound Energy, in the press release. “We believe this project can have a significant impact on the reliability and resiliency of PSE’s customers, tribal communities and disadvantaged communities in the Skagit River Valley.”

Completion of the PSE Skagit River Valley Project is expected to occur over a four-year period through the end of 2029.

This $45 million GRIP grant will enable PSE to invest in innovative technologies and infrastructure to improve power reliability and prevent disruptions. PSE will also be able to support economic development through improved resiliency, job creation and training preparation opportunities, the release said.

PSE has worked closely with Skagit County, the Town of Concrete, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Apprenticeship & Non-Traditional Employment for Women, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Bellingham Technical College and the University of Washington as project participants. Part of this work will be done in collaboration with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as part of the project and grant application development process, the release said.

“As extreme weather events continue to strain power systems across the country, the Biden-Harris Administration is using every tool to ensure America’s electric grid can deliver reliable and affordable electricity,” said Maria Robinson, director of the Grid Deployment Office. in the publication. “The Puget Sound Energy project will strategically underground and implement microgrids and advanced grid technologies to increase grid resiliency in particularly vulnerable communities increasingly affected by weather disasters.”

The mission of the Grid Deployment Office is to advance the development of new or improved electrical infrastructure across the country by maintaining and investing in key generation assets, developing and improving high-capacity electric transmission lines, and installing transmission and distribution technology, the release said.