Entergy Texas has applied for $107.5 million in federal grant funding to enhance the resilience of the electric grid in Port Arthur, Texas. The company aims to secure this funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program (GRIP) for a comprehensive infrastructure and grid hardening project. This initiative will protect the power grid from extreme weather events that have frequently impacted Port Arthur.
"The City of Port Arthur has endured numerous extreme weather events, including Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri," said Thurman Bartie, mayor of Port Arthur. "Since 2020, at least four major hurricanes have caused widespread power outages. We're thankful Entergy Texas continues to pursue cost-effective solutions to strengthen the power grid and improve community resiliency."
The project includes plans to reinforce 57 transmission structures, harden or underground 950 distribution structures, and pilot a self-healing microgrid solution connecting a utility-scale battery to an existing substation. These measures are expected to reduce power outage durations by 257 million minutes and lower storm restoration costs by an estimated $74 million over the next 50 years.
Eliecer Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas, emphasized the company's commitment to affordability and infrastructure resilience, stating, "We are fighting for every dollar of federal and state funding to mitigate impacts on customer bills. Government investments in our power grid's resilience would benefit the entire country."
Entergy Texas' 2024 application builds on feedback from the DOE after an unsuccessful bid in 2023. The proposed project site, Pear Ridge-Kolbs-Lakeview, is strategically selected to benefit a community where over 94% of residents are classified as disadvantaged. This area includes the Bowers Civic Center, a crucial storm shelter during extreme weather.
Ron Burton, city manager of Port Arthur, highlighted the area's significance, stating, "Port Arthur is central to the U.S. petroleum industry. Resilient electric power is vital for these key industries."
Source: energycentral.com