Home Electric companies encouraged to apply for federal grants; public comment period open
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Electric companies encouraged to apply for federal grants; public comment period open

Rebecca Barnabi

scc The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has directed investor-owned electric utilities and electric cooperatives to apply for federal grants in Virginia’s utility infrastructure under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

IIJA created a program for federal financial assistance to promote electric utility investments in advanced generation, transmission and distribution technologies. Under the legislation, grants are available for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, hydrogen fueling infrastructure and other fueling options.

IIJA establishes loans for the Smart Grid Investment Matching Grant Program, incentive payments to qualifying hydroelectric facilities, for a demonstration project for pumped storage hydropower for intermittent renewable energy, for various demonstration and pilot projects, and for programs to develop carbon capture technology to improve environmental performance of coal and natural gas use.

Interested parties are invited to file comments.

Written comments are due by Feb. 2, 2023 and may be submitted through the SCC’s website, select “Cases,” and then “Submit Public Comments.” Scroll to case number PUR-2022-00180.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.