The secretary also announced the release of the DOE's comprehensive new Grid Modernization Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP), a blueprint for the Department's research, development, and demonstration agenda to enable a modernized grid. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be strongly supporting this effort, bringing an array of experts and resources together to participate.

"Modernizing the U.S. electrical grid is essential to reducing carbon emissions, creating safeguards against attacks on our infrastructure, and keeping the lights on," Secretary Moniz said at the announcement. "Our Quadrennial Energy Review and Quadrennial Technology Review identified needs and opportunities to invest in the grid. This public-private partnership between our National Laboratories, industry, academia, and state and local government agencies will help us further strengthen our ongoing efforts to improve our electrical infrastructure so that it is prepared to respond to the nation's energy needs for decades to come."

The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium (GMLC) involves 14 DOE National Laboratories and dozens of industry, academia, and state and local government agency partners across the country. The new research funding announced today is being awarded in response to a challenge by DOE to the National Laboratories to establish, through the GMLC, a comprehensive grid-related research and development effort to address a range of emerging challenges and opportunities in the nation's power grid.

"Our 21st century economy needs a modernized grid," said NREL Associate Laboratory Director Bryan Hannegan and co-chair of the GMLC. "The Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium is a new way of efficiently leveraging the strengths and capabilities of America's national laboratories to deploy new concepts and technologies that will make the grid cleaner, more productive, and more secure. The projects announced today are an important first step towards achieving the DOE vision of a modernized grid for the nation."