First Round of Grid Resilience Grants Administered

The federal government wants to make the electric grid more resilient, and it’s providing grants to utilities, which are managed by state governments. South Carolina chose Santee Cooper to be our state’s administrator.

In 2024, Santee Cooper received final approval for grant funding 18 projects, totaling $10.8 million, submitted to its Grid Resilience Grant Program last year by electric cooperatives and municipal and other utilities from across South Carolina.

Together, the projects represent grid improvements that will reduce the number of outages and improve restoration times during extreme weather events, primarily in disadvantaged areas.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is providing the grant money to South Carolina annually through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, section 40101(d).  The projects submitted to and approved by the DOE are funded with 2022 and 2023 grants. Santee Cooper and independent consultant Guidehouse reviewed the project submissions, determined all 18 met Santee Cooper’s program guidelines and federal requirements, approved the projects for full funding and submitted to the DOE for final review.

“The projects range from burying overhead power lines to adding self-healing equipment that improves restoration ability,” said Jimmy Staton, Santee Cooper President and CEO. “Collectively they will strengthen South Carolina’s electric grid in the face of hurricanes and other extreme weather. It has been our privilege to work with the DOE and so many utilities across the state that are driven to provide the best service possible to their members and customers.”

Santee Cooper has recommended additional projects to receive another $5.5 million in DOE funding, plus an additional 15% in Santee Cooper funds as grant administrator for the state. As soon as the decision is made, Santee Cooper will notify the applicants.

Additionally, DOE has announced funding for fiscal 2025 BIL 40101(d) grants. South Carolina will receive $5.4 million in 2025. Santee Cooper’s grants team is preparing to solicit proposals on behalf of South Carolina to help fund additional grid resilience projects.

These 2022/2023 grant projects are underway:

Berkeley Electric Cooperative: $982,228

Implement an automated fault location, isolation, and service restoration system (FLISR) in a remote and difficult-to-access area to decrease restoration times.

Broad River Electric Cooperative: $183,964

Install remote-controlled devices and new controls to improve monitoring and increase reliability for two circuits that have experienced outages.

City of Rock Hill: $71,470

Add two automated overhead switches and a self-healing device to address circuit-level outages.

Coastal Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 1: $400,000

Improve monitoring and control capabilities to increase sectionalizing, reduce outages and expand FLISR abilities.

Coastal Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 2: $796,000

Replace aging overhead distribution lines on back lots with underground lines on front lots to improve reliability and increase access to the lines.

Fairfield Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 1: $225,000

Update equipment and improve system monitoring and control, allowing for remote power restoration.

Fairfield Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 2: $900,000

Rebuild four miles of overhead distribution line serving a wastewater treatment plant in a remote area that has experienced extended outages.

Gaffney Board of Public Works (GBPW): $417,605

Deploy technology to locate, predict, and prevent issues on the electrical grid.

Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.: $779,823

Install self-healing devices on poles along major transportation corridors, allowing automated restoration within seconds for outages between these devices.

Laurens Commission of Public Works: $777,917

Replace cutout switches, inspect all poles on the system, and accelerate vegetation management.

Lockhart Power Company: $833,333

Install enhanced resiliency insulators and storm-hardened metal poles on Jonesville 34kV line, part of a larger project to replace an aged 18-mile segment of line between two substations.

MPD Electric Cooperative: $1,191,604

Install distribution management and automation systems to automatically clear instantaneous and short-duration faults.

Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Inc.: $1,946,000

Replace 44 hydraulic reclosers with electronically controlled reclosers with remote monitoring and operating capabilities in areas considered to be disadvantaged.

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 1: $125,193

Build a 2.1-mile overhead line to provide an alternate feed to two long radial lines in hard-to-reach areas of Bonnor Horton Road and West McConnells Highway and improve reliability.

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 2: $152,664

Install a distribution automation scheme across its service territory in the Catawba Indian Nation.

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 3: $59,886

Install an underground tie line between Legion Road and Valley Haven Trail in Hickory Grove, creating a usable backfeed and reducing the number of radial line miles by 13.54 miles.

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 4: $717,357

Bury approximately three miles of overhead line going into the Kings Mountain National Military Park and a single-phase line feeding Camp Cherokee, a YMCA summer camp. 

York Electric Cooperative, Inc. Project 5: $206,855

Bury approximately two miles line feeding the Kings Mountain State Park.