BOSTON – Massachusetts has joined a coalition of New England states jointly submitting a pair of applications to the Department of Energy to secure federal funding for large-scale transmission and energy storage infrastructure to enhance regional electric grids.
The two projects to be funded are Power Up New England and the Clean Resilience Link project, which would pursue funds from the Department’s Grid Innovation Program.
Power Up would upgrade transmission connection points in Southeastern Massachusetts and Southeast Connecticut to funnel 4,800 megawatts of offshore wind and battery energy storage systems from Southwest Connecticut to Northern Maine.
Clean Resilience would create a high-speed New York-New England transmission line, operating at 345 kilovolts, thereby increasing transfer capabilities by up to 1,000 megawatts.
The Grid Innovation program is funded through the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program and can provide up to $1 billion in funding to projects with significant transmission goals, which the coalition is pursuing for both projects.
Both applications also include Community Benefits Plans outlining how they will complement the interests of the communities they supply.
“The northeast region offers DOE two compelling applications, highlighting our strong regional ties,” said Elizabeth Mahoney, Resources Commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Energy regarding the dual proposals.
“As we work to achieve our climate goals and increase the generation of renewable energy in the region, we need to invest in our transmission system and storage resources to deliver clean energy to our residents and businesses.”
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