Congresswoman Lee Announces Duquesne Light Company To Receive $19.7 Million As Part of Largest-Ever Investment in U.S. Electric Grid

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

October 18, 2023 

Contact: Summerleepress@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Lee Announces Duquesne Light Company To Receive $19.7 Million As Part of Largest-Ever Investment in U.S. Electric Grid

[Washington, DC] – On Oct. 18, 2023, Congresswoman Summer Lee announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected Duquesne Light Company in Allegheny County to receive a total of $19.7 Million to boost the reliability of electrical grid infrastructure and deliver affordable, clean energy to Pennsylvania communities. This initiative will support the City of Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan, while also improving resilience, increasing innovation, and promoting workforce development in the district.

Lee said, “I’m so proud to deliver this big win for our region. The $19.7M going to Duquesne Light Company is going to make our electric grid stronger and more reliable and on top of that—it’s great news for everyone’s electric bills and the environment as well. This initiative, standing in solidarity with Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan, is a testament to our relentless pursuit of environmental accountability, economic innovation, and strong union jobs. This money is a step towards making sure we’re ready for whatever weather comes our way. We’re not just fixing today’s problems—we’re making a better future for all of us in Pennsylvania. Big changes start with steps like this, and every step counts. This is more than an investment in electricity—it’s an investment in our future, and it starts right here, right now.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said: “Extreme weather events fueled by climate change will continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems, but President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will ensure America’s power grid can provide reliable, affordable power. Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever direct investment in critical grid infrastructure, supporting projects that will harden systems, improve energy reliability and affordability—all while generating union jobs for highly skilled workers.”   

The federal funds are part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, which seeks to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the GRIP program leverages federal and private investments to ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that’s prepared for extreme weather while also delivering affordable, clean energy and creating robust local opportunities for economic investment and jobs.

 Anticipated Outcomes and Benefits:

• Increase transmission system capacity using dynamic line rating (DLR) technology, as demonstrated by DLC in a previous limited implementation. 
• Improve system reliability and resilience by preventing faults using actionable real-time data and remote communications and controls. 
• Increase clean energy availability utilizing enhanced technology, which will provide more granular data regarding distributed energy resource performance that may improve the economics of clean energy technology. 
• Accelerate investment in disadvantaged and underserved communities thereby decreasing environmental exposure, mitigating energy cost increases, increasing jobs with family sustaining wages, job training programs, and reduced outage frequency and duration. 
• Supports the City of Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan, while also improving resilience, increasing innovation, and promoting workforce development. 
• Create a Community and Workforce Coalition including community benefit organizations, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and local workforce training institutions.

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