LINCOLN, Neb. — More than $15 million in grants has been awarded to Nebraska communities to strengthen the state’s electric grid, the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) announced this week.
The funding comes through DWEE’s Grid Resiliency Grant Program, which is backed by federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Electric Grid/Hazard Hardening Program.” The initiative is part of a broader national effort to modernize energy infrastructure and protect it against extreme weather events, cyber threats, and other hazards.
“Nebraskans rely on electricity every day in their homes, on their farms, and to run their businesses,” said DWEE Director Jesse Bradley. “That is why DWEE is proud to provide these grants that will help strengthen energy infrastructure so those customers can count on reliable electric service.”
The grants will support a range of infrastructure improvements, including replacement of aging power poles and transformers, substation upgrades, and the installation of more efficient and durable transmission lines. Several projects will incorporate advanced grid-monitoring technology and bury power lines underground to help prevent outages.
As part of the grant conditions, each community receiving funds will contribute matching dollars, underscoring their commitment to enhancing local energy resilience.
Two of the local awardees include:
- City of Cozad – Awarded $838,919 to replace deteriorating power poles and construct new distribution tie lines.
- Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation – Received $1,914,455 to rebuild a key transmission line using stronger, more resilient poles.