Grid Resilience Grant Program

The Grid Resilience Grant Program is administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act under Section 40101(d). This program is designed to support improvements to the resilience and reliability of Michigan’s electric grid, particularly in response to aging infrastructure and increasing vulnerability to severe weather events. The program aligns with broader state and federal climate and energy goals, including reducing outages, improving system safety, and strengthening infrastructure that supports critical services and communities. The purpose of the program is to fund projects that mitigate risks to the electric grid, including physical hardening of infrastructure, vegetation management, relocation or undergrounding of power lines, and deployment of innovative solutions such as microgrids and distributed energy resources. The program also emphasizes workforce development and aims to support training and capacity building for grid resilience activities. Priority is given to projects that enhance reliability, reduce outage frequency and duration, and benefit communities experiencing high energy burdens or frequent service disruptions. Funding for this opportunity is provided as matching grants, with a total of 9313204 dollars available in the current funding round. The program divides funds equally between large and small utility operators. Large operators, defined as those selling more than 4 terawatt hours of electricity annually, must provide a minimum one to one match of requested funds, while small operators must provide at least a one third match. All funding is reimbursement based, meaning recipients must incur and document expenses prior to receiving payment. Eligible applicants include investor owned utilities, cooperative utilities, and municipal utilities that are physically located in Michigan. In addition, other eligible entities such as transmission operators, storage providers, and fuel suppliers may apply if partnered with a Michigan utility that leads the proposal. Projects must take place within the state and focus on improving grid resilience. Certain activities are excluded, including construction of new generation facilities not tied to resilience, cybersecurity focused projects, and projects lacking measurable resilience benefits. The application process requires submission of a complete proposal including an online application, an approved budget form, and supporting documentation such as organizational charts, financial statements, and project timelines. Applicants must also comply with federal requirements including the National Environmental Policy Act, Build America Buy America provisions, and Davis Bacon labor standards. Proposals are evaluated based on criteria including project scope, feasibility, impact, and alignment with program priorities, with a maximum score of 80 points plus bonus considerations. The application period for this funding round opened on January 13, 2025, with a submission deadline of April 30, 2025. Questions were due by January 31, 2025, and responses were provided by February 7, 2025. Selected projects are expected to begin following grant agreement execution, with a performance period extending through November 30, 2026. Final payment requests must be submitted by December 30, 2026. For additional information, applicants may contact Nicki Guggemos via email or phone as provided in the program materials. The program is expected to be part of a multi year funding cycle under federal infrastructure legislation, though each funding round requires a new application and is subject to federal approval processes.

Focus on measurable grid reliability improvements outage reduction and strong project feasibility with clear timelines and documented impacts