Electrical engineer inspect the electrical systems at the equipment control cabinet at a substation. (andrew_shots for AdobeStock)
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER) Center will participate in a $28.7 million federal investment to protect Florida communities against extreme weather events.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant will support the City of Tallahassee Electric & Gas Utility in deploying a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) to strengthen grid resilience and provide backup power to critical facilities.
“The residents of Florida repeatedly bear the impacts of extreme weather change, and the Biden-Harris Administration continues to work hard to ensure that all of the nation’s grid is hardened in the face of intensified effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Administration’s Investing in America agenda has delivered the largest grid investment in U.S. history, adding more power to the grid faster, improving reliability and resilience and investing in innovative technologies so all Americans can have access to affordable, reliable energy.”
Addressing Local Challenges
Like many communities nationwide, Tallahassee experiences extreme weather events and its existing substation is overburdened. The BESS at the Birmingham Street Substation will provide backup power to four essential facilities:
- Lawrence-Gregory Community Center
- Lincoln Center
- Miracle Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- Tallahassee Senior Center
The system is expected to provide an estimated $160,000 in annual fuel cost savings for municipal utility customers.
Community Engagement
The utility will partner with the RIDER Center at the joint college, local universities and community-based organizations to develop and implement a Community Benefits Agreement. The project will issue 30 Clean Energy Trades certificates to trainees, creating new workforce opportunities.
National Grid Investment
The grant is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. GRIP is investing $10.5 billion in communities nationwide to enhance grid flexibility and improve power system resilience against growing threats of extreme weather.
Since October 2023, DOE has announced $7.6 billion for 105 GRIP projects in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. These projects will:
- Enable 53 gigawatts of grid capacity, powering nearly 40 million homes annually
- Add or upgrade nearly 2,500 miles of transmission lines
- Support the Justice40 Initiative goal of directing 40% of federal climate and clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities
The Investing in America agenda provides the largest electric grid infrastructure investment in history. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. is projected to build more new electric generation capacity this year than in two decades while mobilizing to upgrade thousands of miles of existing transmission lines.
“This includes catalyzing nationwide collaboration on modern grid technologies and funding their deployment, accelerating transmission permitting and increasing grid capacity to support electricity demand to support increased electrification, data centers, and manufacturing,” Granholm added.
DOE expects to launch a third round of GRIP funding in 2025. For more information about the Grid Deployment Office and current GRIP projects, visit the DOE website.
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