Pacific Gas and Electric CEO Patti Poppe looks down while being interviewed during a tour of PG&E workers burying power lines in Vacaville, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. PG&E wants to bury many of its power lines in areas threatened by wildfires. such as the deadly Maui and California wildfires continue to strain the nation's aging transmission systems.
Projects funded by the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program will increase the flexibility, efficiency and reliability of electric power systems, with a particular focus on spurring solar, wind and other renewable energy, Granholm said.
"Our outdated grid has been in need of an update for a long, long time," said Mitch Landrieu, a White House senior adviser who coordinates implementation of the 2021 infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden. "As we sadly saw in California, aging electricity infrastructure can cause catastrophic loss of life, property, natural areas and forest fires," said Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, a group that publicizes climate solutions.
"Minnesota is proud to lead the way on delivering affordable, clean energy to families across the Midwest," he said.