PPL Electric Utilities announced it has been chosen to receive up to $71.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for a major modernization of an existing 230 kilovolt transmission corridor.
The funding will support the Montour Grid Resilience and Advanced Reconductoring Project, officials said. Part of the DOE’s Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPAKR) Program, the project modernizes 29.3 miles of existing transmission infrastructure to strengthen reliability, resilience and grid capacity, officials said. The project will provide long-term reliability, as well as give customers throughout the Susquehanna Valley, Greater Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania affordability benefits.
“This Department of Energy funding will help PPL Electric modernize critical infrastructure, strengthen reliability and resilience and deploy advanced technologies that will help inform future grid investments,” PPL Electric Utilities President Christine Martin said. “By bringing these federal resources into Pennsylvania, we can maximize the impact of every infrastructure dollar invested while helping minimize costs for customers and delivering long-term value for the communities we serve.”
The project will deploy two advanced transmission technologies. Officials said PPL Electric will use a combination of Aluminum Conductor Steel Supported (ACSS) and Aluminum Conductor Composite Core (ACCC) conductors on targeted segments of the line which will carry more electricity, improve performance and provide long-term reliability while maximizing the use of the existing transmission corridor.
“Today’s announcement reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment to commonsense energy addition policies that lower electricity prices and strengthen our grid,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “These investments will get more out of the infrastructure we already have, move more electricity across the grid, and help deliver affordable, reliable and secure power that will fuel American prosperity for decades to come.”