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Today, Congressman Bob Latta, Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, commended the Department of Energy (DOE) for its recent decision to award more than $135 million in federal funding for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to help modernize the electric grid, upgrade transmission capacity, and lower expenses for Ohio ratepayers.

"Ohio is a key hub for multi-directional power transfer and faces many of the nation's grid challenges," said Rep. Latta. "This funding will help maximize existing infrastructure, replace old assets, reduce congestion, and unlock constrained capacity within the grid. With rising electricity demand, our state must add capacity quickly to help ensure grid reliability and integrity while also lowering expenses for ratepayers. I was proud to lead a letter in support of this project, and I'm grateful to the Department of Energy for recognizing this need and awarding this funding that will greatly benefit Ohio's electric grid and the surrounding communities."

"As we work collectively to meet the moment, the Department of Energy funding will play an important role in the deployment of advanced transmission technologies across the country," stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French. "The PUCO is so appreciative of the Department of Energy for choosing Ohio for this funding and we look forward to seeing the difference it can make in Ohio’s communities."

Background:

The announcement comes after PUCO applied for DOE's SPARK program funding earlier this year. Congressman Latta led members of the Ohio delegation in sending a letter of support for the project to the Department of Energy. Read the letter of support for the funding application here.

DOE's Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program seeks to enable large-scale, rapidly deployable grid modernization to expand transmission capacity. Read more about the program here.