Grid Resilience Grant Program

Funded under Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) section 40101(d), the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program (Program) has provided grants to States (including U.S. Territories) and Indian Tribes to strengthen and modernize the power grid against extreme weather, wildfires, and other natural disasters.

IIJA section 40101(a)(1) defines a disruptive event as "an event in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster." To achieve this objective, funding provided under this Program may be used to implement a wide range of resilience measures intended to mitigate the impact of disruptive events.

Entities ineligible for the Grid Resilience Grant may be eligible for alternative grid-related programs funded by U.S. DOE. The U.S. DOE Grid and Transmission Program Conductor provides additional information to help identify relevant funding or financing programs.

Eligible Resilience Measures

Grid-related weatherization technologies and equipment (i.e., weatherization of grid components and systems, and not the weatherization of a facility or building);

Fire-resistant technologies and fire prevention systems

Monitoring and control technologies

Undergrounding of electrical equipment

Utility pole management

Relocation of power lines or the reconductoring of power lines with low-sag, advanced conductors

Vegetation and fuel-load management

Use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including microgrids and battery-storage subcomponents

Adaptive protection technologies

Advanced modeling technologies

Hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, or other systems

Replacement of old overhead conductors and underground cables

Funding may also be used for the training, recruitment, retention, and reskilling of skilled and properly credentialed workers in order to perform the work required for the particular resilience measures to be funded under the Program. Additionally, of the amounts made available under the Program each fiscal year, the State or Indian Tribe may use up to 5% for providing technical assistance and administrative expenses associated with the Program.

State's Application for Federal Formula Funding

IIJA Section 40101(d)(2)(B) provides that plans prepared by States or Indian Tribes for purposes of an application for funding under this Program shall (i) describe the criteria and methods that will be used by the State or Indian Tribe to award grants to eligible entities; (ii) be adopted after notice and a public hearing; and (iii) describe the proposed funding distributions and recipients of the grants to be provided by the State or Indian Tribe.

The State of Tennessee’s plan, or Program Narrative, for the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy on April 24, 2023, as part of an application for Year 1 and Year 2 formula funding under this program, with formula allocations as follows:

Tennessee’s Year 1 Allocation = $7,614,436
Tennessee’s Year 2 Allocation = $7,591,534

View the State of Tennessee Program Narrative.

TDEC OEP held a public hearing on September 15, 2022, regarding the utilization of the State of Tennessee's Year 1 allocation of $7,614,436 under the U.S. Department of Energy's Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program. In addition to providing an overview of this Program and various related compliance requirements, TDEC OEP reviewed the criteria and methods the State of Tennessee anticipates using to grant awards to eligible entities and potential approaches for distributing funding (e.g., formula grants and competitive grants). TDEC OEP accepted written and verbal public comment on the draft plan through COB on October 17, 2022, at 5 pm CDT.

View the Presentation from the public hearing.

On September 25, 2024, TDEC OEP received a contract modification for the Program's Year 3 allocation totaling $6,908,468. On December 17, 2024, the Department of Energy confirmed Tennessee’s Year 4 allocation amount of $7,122,935. As of July 2025, TDEC OEP is awaiting instructions to complete the contract modification for Year 4 funding.

Funding Opportunity for TN Electric Distribution Providers

On November 13, TDEC OEP opened applications for $23 million in funding, representing three years of federal funding. Eligible applicants are limited to electric distribution providers in Tennessee (i.e., municipal electric power providers, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities) that previously submitted a Concept Paper to TDEC OEP by the September 24, 2025 deadline. Under this solicitation, TDEC OEP expects to award 10-25 total projects, with projects ranging in size from approximately $500,000-$5,000,000 each.

Eligible applicants are limited to one application each; however, multiple activities or project types may be combined and included within a single application. Eligible applicants may also partner as a consortium to submit a single application covering projects across multiple distribution service territories, provided that a lead organization is designated and that lead organization agrees to serve as the prime subrecipient, if awarded.

Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted electronically via the TDEC online grants management system, which may be accessed here: https://tdec.smartsimple.com/. Applications must be received by January 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central. TDEC will announce awards after conducting a comprehensive review and evaluation of all complete and eligible grant applications. Grant contracting efforts will occur shortly thereafter.

TDEC will host a mandatory application workshop webinar on November 20 at 11:00 AM Central. Registration for the mandatory webinar can be accessed online here. The workshop will be recorded and posted here for applicant reference. Applicants will be required to attend the virtual application workshop prior to submitting their application, either by participating in the initial webinar session or by viewing the recording. The application workshop will provide guidance on the application process, including project eligibility, timelines for implementation, and reporting requirements.

Additional information is available in the Grid Resilience Program Application and Application Manual . Questions about the application can be directed to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov. You can also sign up here to receive email updates regarding the Program.

Request for Concept Papers

On July 23, TDEC OEP released a Request for Concept Papers for the Program. TDEC OEP requested Concept Papers from electric distribution providers in Tennessee (i.e., municipal electric power providers, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities) for eligible grid resilience projects.

Eligible applicants were limited to one Concept Paper each; however, multiple activities or project types may have been combined and included within a single Concept Paper. Eligible applicants could also partner as a consortium to submit a single Concept Paper covering projects across multiple distribution service territories, provided that a lead organization was designated and the lead organization agreed to serve as the prime subrecipient, if awarded.

Additional information is available in the Request for Concept Papers. Concept Papers must have been submitted electronically to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov no later than September 24. Full proposals from applicants who did not submit a Concept Paper will not be accepted.

TDEC OEP hosted an informational workshop via webinar on the Request for Concept Papers on August 4 from 1:00-3:00 PM Central. Webinar slides are available here. Questions about the Concept Paper can be directed to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov.

Request for Concept Papers Workshop

Watch video

Informational Webinar

Watch video

Public Hearing Recording

Due to a technical error, the first eight minutes covering the first ten slides were not recorded. A PDF of the presentation can be accessed here or in the Resources tab below.

Watch video

Program Activities

On May 30, 2024, a stakeholder working group was convened. The stakeholder working group is comprised of representatives from Local Power Companies (large, medium, small, municipally-owned, cooperatively-owned, rural, and urban), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association (TECA), Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association (TMEPA), Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Tennessee Board of Regents / Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, urban and rural local governments, and other State Agencies, including the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

The goal of the stakeholder working group is to serve as an advisory entity to TDEC throughout both the Program design phase as well as the implementation of the Program, to include:

Providing insight and exchange information on key decisions impacting the Program design and implementation;

Advising TDEC OEP staff by providing subject matter expertise and insight on historical outage data, reporting gaps, and needs or resources that could be leveraged to fill such reporting gaps;

Identify outage-related data sources;

Support TDEC OEP in establishing required metrics, data exchange, and data gathering requirements for Eligible Entities;

Inform the development of a framework and a methodology for determining and/or evaluating community benefit of grid resilience projects in a measurable way;

Evaluate the need to expand the State’s list of eligible entities; and,

Advise TDEC OEP staff on effective means to track progress, outputs, and outcomes associated with Program-funded projects.

The stakeholder working group met four times over the course of 2024 and 2025 on topics including program priorities, metrics, community benefit, workforce development, and development of the solicitation/grant application.

The following definitions are set forth in IIJA Section 40101.

“Disruptive event” shall mean an event in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster.

“Eligible entity” shall mean the following:

an electric grid operator
an electricity storage operator
an electricity generator
a transmission owner or operator
a distribution provider
a fuel supplier
any other relevant entity, as determined by the Secretary

“Natural disaster” shall mean any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, or other catastrophe in any part of the United States which causes, or which may cause, substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons.

“Power line” shall mean a transmission line or a distribution line, as applicable.

“Program” shall mean the Grid Resilience Formula Grant Program established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Section 40101 on Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible entities include electric distribution providers in Tennessee (i.e., municipal electric power providers, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities). The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) serves all but one electric distribution provider in Tennessee, the Appalachian Power Company. The list of local power companies served by TVA can be accessed here.

When will eligible entities be able to apply for funding?

TDEC OEP opened Applications on November 13. Applications are due Janaury 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central. A Request for Concept Papers was released on July 23; Concept Papers were due by September 24.

Can an applicant submit a consortium application with both a large and a small utility type as defined by the Program?

Yes; however, each entity would be responsible for covering the cost match required by the entity's size, which would require submission of separate budgets for each entity. IIJA Sections 40101(h)(1) and (h)(2) require that in addition to the 15% Cost Match to be provided at the recipient (i.e., TDEC OEP) (IIJA Section 40101(d)(8)), large utilities that sell more than 4 million megawatt hours per year must provide cost match at a minimum of 100% of the total subaward, and small utilities that sell 4 million megawatt hours or less per year must match no less than 1/3 of the total subaward.

Can grant funding cover activities that have already begun or were already planned to occur?

Proposed projects should not include regular maintenance or projects that have already begun. Applicants should be focused on proposed activities that would not be completed without grant funding. If awarded, projects should not begin until a grant contract is fully executed. Only eligible costs incurred within the period of performance of a fully executed and approved Grant Contract will be eligible for reimbursement. No credit or reimbursement will be given for costs incurred prior to the grant period of performance.

Are projects for anticipated load growth eligible?

Projects with elements for anticipated load growth may be eligible; however, the Program is focused on reducing the frequency and duration of outages caused by disruptive events, with a strong emphasis on improving the reliability and resilience of existing loads and systems.

What types of battery storage facilities are eligible for funding?

U.S. DOE released an FAQ that elaborates on allowable activities, available here. In short, while new electric generating facilities are not allowable, energy storage systems are allowable if the system is used to improve grid resilience during disruptive events.

Can workforce development funds be used to hire new positions to support the Grid Resilience Program project?

Workforce development efforts are intended to strengthen the workforce responsible for implementing grid reliability and resilience projects, via professional training and/or workforce development opportunities, or other efforts that will help attract, train, and retain an appropriately skilled workforce in the grid improvement space. Workforce development funds may be utilized to support employee training and upskilling; however, the funds should not support the direct hiring of new positions.

Program Administration

Where can I find information on the Application?

The Grid Resilience Program Application and Application Manual provide additional information on the funding opportunity and application process.

Where can I find the information from the Concept Paper Informational Webinar?

The slides from the Concept Paper Information Webinar can be downloaded here, and the recording can be viewed here.

If an applicant has limited information for the SAIDI and SAIFI metrics, what information should they provide in the Concept Paper?

Applicants should provide their best estimates for the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) within the Concept Paper. This should include information on how the applicant calculated these metrics, such as any assumptions made and the data sources referenced.

How do I calculate the required project cost match?

The cost match for the non-federal share of the Grid Resilience Program funding is calculated as a percentage of the requested federal funds only, rather than a percentage of the total project cost. For eligible entities that sell more than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity annually, the cost match should equal the amount of federal funds requested. For eligible entities that sell equal to or less than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity per year, the cost match should equal one-third of the amount of federal funding requested. The total of the federal funds requested and the cost match provided by the applicant should equal the expected total project cost. See an illustrative example below from the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Visual representation of eligible entity cost share for grid resilience program

How will grant funding be disbursed?

Payment of project expenses for awarded entities will take place on a reimbursement basis. The awardee must expend funds to cover project costs and provide proof of expenditure prior to being reimbursed. Only eligible costs incurred within the period of performance of a fully executed and approved Grant Contract will be eligible for reimbursement. No credit or reimbursement will be given for costs incurred prior to the grant period of performance.

I have additional questions. Who do I need to contact?

If you have questions , please contact TDEC OEP at TDEC.OEP@tn.gov.

Stakeholder Working Group

When did the Stakeholder Working Group for the Grid Resilience Grant Program begin to convene?

The stakeholder working group held a Kick-off Meeting on May 30, 2024. Slides presented at the Kick-off Meeting can be found here.

What is the role of the Stakeholder Working Group?

The goal of the SWG is to serve as the primary advisory entity to TDEC throughout both the Program design phase as well as the implementation of the Program (each year of funding has a five-year period of performance). The goals and objectives of the SWG are as follows:

Provide insight and exchange information on key decisions impacting the Program design and implementation, including the decision to award funding via competitive solicitation(s) and/or formula grant(s), the decision to invest funding in workforce development related initiatives, and the potential prioritization of Eligible Resilience Measures to be funded under the Program.
Advise TDEC OEP staff by providing subject matter expertise and insight on historical outage data, reporting gaps, and needs or resources that could be leveraged to fill such reporting gaps.
Identify outage-related data sources for TDEC OEP to utilize and/or determine data points that TDEC OEP should gather from eligible applicants or related stakeholders to support data-driven analysis and evaluation of proposed projects.
Support TDEC OEP in establishing required metrics, data exchange, and data gathering requirements for eligible entities, both at the time of application as well as during and after project implementation.
Inform the development of a framework and a methodology for determining and/or evaluating community benefit of grid resilience projects in a measurable way, where possible.
Evaluate the need to expand the State’s list of eligible entities to include critical facilities and infrastructure that ensure essential community services or lifelines remain functioning when a disruptive event occurs.
Advise TDEC OEP staff on effective means to track progress, outputs, and outcomes associated with Program-funded projects.

Who will contribute to the Stakeholder Working Group?

The stakeholder working group is comprised of representatives from Local Power Companies (large, medium, small, municipally owned, cooperatively owned, rural, and urban), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association (TECA), Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association (TMEPA), Tennessee Valley Public Power Association (TVPPA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Tennessee Board of Regents / Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, other higher education institutions, urban and rural local governments, and other State Agencies, including the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. To avoid any appearance of unfair advantage, vendors that could later be selected to provide either goods or services for the implementation of projects to be funded under the program are not eligible to participate in the stakeholder working group, as the stakeholder working group will be tasked with informing program design, project selection criteria, and other implementation-related considerations.

I'm not part of the Stakeholder Working Group. How do I stay informed?

Please check this webpage regularly. We will periodically post important updates and program deadlines. You can also sign up here to receive email updates regarding the Grid Resilience Grant Program.

This Page Last Updated: November 14, 2025 at 12:32 PM