Energy Department to Spend $2B to Squeeze More Electricity From Aging Power Grid

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to announce nearly $2 billion in funding to boost electricity delivery from the country’s aging, stressed power grid. The program will back 31 projects across 26 states, targeting more than 23 gigawatts of added capacity—enough to power about 16 million homes. Officials say upgrades will span 1,500 miles of transmission lines and nearly 21,000 miles of grid improvements, using sensors and other devices to measure real-time weather and reroute power away from congested or overloaded paths. The department estimates the work could improve reliability and reduce costs for roughly 100 million Americans. The announcement is set for Thursday in Allentown, Pennsylvania.