DEP to host public hearing on strengthening Pa.’s power grids

By Cassie Miller – Capital-Star

HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is calling for public input on how best to utilize $40.5 million in anticipated federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to strengthen the statewide electric grid against extreme weather events.

DEP, which is required to submit to the U.S. Department of Energy a plan for how it intends to use the federal funding to provide grants to in-state projects, is inviting Pennsylvanians to attend a virtual public meeting, “Making Pennsylvania’s Electric Grid Stronger,” on Wednesday, Aug. 31, from 10:00 a.m. – noon.

“To develop a grid-strengthening support program that’s customized to meet Pennsylvania’s specific challenges and opportunities, we need to hear from a diverse range of Pennsylvanians, including residents, community leaders and advocates, local government leaders, small business owners, health care and emergency personnel, and educators,” DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh said.

According to the department, Pennsylvania is slated to receive $8.1 million in IIJA funding every year for five years through the U.S. Department of Energy grant program for states called “Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid.”

“Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding provides a significant opportunity to make Pennsylvania’s electric grid stable when the weather is not,” Ziadeh said. “Through thoughtful investments now, we can ensure that all Pennsylvanians, and particularly our vulnerable and underserved populations, can depend on having heat, air conditioning, medical equipment, lights, refrigeration, web access, and other necessities during future extreme storms.”