The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) announced more than $8 million in selections for funding to projects that accelerate microgrid innovation through the Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) program. This program will fund 14 projects, reaching 35 towns and villages and 20 partners, including business and nonprofits, Alaska Native Corporations, a labor union and power providers like utilities and energy cooperatives.
In addition to $5.5 million in direct funding to communities supported by microgrid energy system, C-MAP will provide more than $2.6 million for technical expertise provided through DOE’s national laboratories and local partners, such as the Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska.
“Funding for the C-MAP projects cover costs associated with designing, engineering, and sustaining microgrid systems that bring the reality of America’s energy abundance to rural homes, businesses, and industries,” said Gil Bindewald, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Electricity. “We want to see microgrid designs that work not just on paper but in the real world.”
Americans living in remote reaches of the country pay some of the highest prices for electricity, yet their service is often below modern standards. The electrical infrastructure is insufficient or aging, vulnerable to weather-related disruptions, and dependent on long supply chains for costly diesel fuel, the most common energy source. Operational efficiencies enabled by microgrids have immense benefits in energy reliability and affordability in areas with a weak grid connection or in the stand-alone microgrids used in remote industries, Tribes and island communities and national defense.
With support from C-MAP, selectees will:
- Implement advanced controls and monitoring software to improve system performance,
- Build workforce capacity for long-term operations and maintenance,
- Modernize power systems to address poor power quality and outages,
- Prioritize local energy supply chains to stabilize and lower costs, and
- Develop construction-ready engineering plans for infrastructure improvements.
A function of the President’s National Energy Dominance Council is to consult with officials from State, local, and Tribal governments and individuals from the private sector to solicit feedback on how best to expand all forms of energy production. C-MAP is a model for bringing these entities together to address critical energy security gaps with practical solutions.
“Microgrids come in many forms, and we have more technologies for generating and managing power than ever before. However, adoption is limited by microgrid system complexity, capital costs, and commissioning times,” said Dan Ton, C-MAP Lead for the Office of Electricity. “I believe the United States can lead the world in standardized, modular and scalable microgrids, but this requires research-backed demonstrations that can be replicated nationwide.”
Read about the proposals competitively selected for award negotiation here.
News item from DOE
