Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

DOE invests $7.5 million to strengthen reliability of the nation’s power grid

By Michelle Froese | November 21, 2018

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing awards of up to $7.5 million to support the research and development of innovative designs that will strengthen the resilience of the U.S. power grid. The selected projects will lead to the next-generation of transformers that can be shared and replaced more easily in the event of a failure, are smarter with embedded sensors and analytics, and are more secure to cyber-physical threats.

 More information about DOE’s efforts to improve the resilience of the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure, click here.

More information about DOE’s efforts to improve the resilience of the nation’s critical energy infrastructure, click here.

Under this funding through the Office of Electricity’s Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components (TRAC) Program and Resilient Distribution Systems (RDS) Program, research partnerships will create innovative designs and prototypes of large power transformers (LPTs) that are more flexible, adaptable, and secure, thereby increasing the resilience of the grid.

Transformers are fundamental to the grid, with essentially all electricity generated and delivered through these devices.

“A resilient, reliable, and secure power grid is vital to the nation’s security, economy, and the services that American communities and businesses depend on every day,” said Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes. “Creating the next generation of these critical grid components will help ensure the nation’s critical energy infrastructure is secure and able to recover rapidly when disruptions occur.”

Building on the Administration’s commitment to strong national critical infrastructure as reemphasized throughout November during Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, this investment is the latest example of DOE’s commitment to ensuring secure, reliable, and resilient electricity.  As outlined in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), it is the Department’s responsibility to protect or restore our nation’s defense critical electric infrastructure.

LPTs can weigh hundreds of tons, cost millions of dollars, and are typically custom-made with procurement lead times of one year or more. Generally tailored to customer specifications, these components are not readily interchangeable with each other, and their high costs prohibit extensive spare inventories.

In addition, many are approaching or exceeding their design lives, presenting an opportunity for next-generation transformers that can provide new capabilities needed in the grid of the future as well as reinvigorate domestic manufacturing.

A detailed list of the four projects selected for awards is available here. Final award amounts are subject to negotiation. More information about DOE’s emergency preparedness and coordinated response to disruptions to the energy sector, including physical and cyber-attacks, natural disasters, and man-made events is here.


Filed Under: News

 

About The Author

Michelle Froese

Related Articles Read More >

US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets
Equinor halts work on Empire Wind offshore project after federal government order
ARESCA wants input on offshore wind standards

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Browse the most current issue of Windpower Engineering & Development and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading wind power engineering magazine today.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe