INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana will receive more than $175 million through a federal grant program to upgrade the state’s electric transmission infrastructure, Gov. Mike Braun announced Thursday.
The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades grant program, also known in legislative circles as SPARK. The state says the federal money will cover roughly half the cost of the planned infrastructure improvements.
Braun said the investment will help Indiana meet increasing electricity demand as the state attracts new manufacturing facilities, businesses and data centers.
“Indiana’s economic growth is far outpacing that of our neighbors and as our state continues to attract investment that will power more great jobs with higher wages for Hoosiers, Indiana must meet the power needs of the businesses making those investments,” Braun said. “This grant will allow our state to make smart investments to improve the energy infrastructure we have and lower costs for ratepayers.”
The project will focus on improving existing transmission corridors rather than building new transmission lines, according to the governor’s office.
The work will target the area where the PJM and MISO regional power grids meet, known as the PJM-MISO seam. Indiana is divided between the two regional transmission organizations.
The state says the project will use technology to increase the amount of electricity that can move through existing transmission lines and reduce congestion on the grid.
One method included in the project is reconductoring, which replaces older transmission wires with newer conductors capable of carrying more electricity. The approach allows utilities to increase transmission capacity while using existing infrastructure and rights-of-way.
State officials say the improvements are intended to increase reliability and help accommodate Indiana’s growing demand for electricity.
The announcement comes as Indiana continues to see investment in manufacturing and other energy-intensive industries, including data centers.
The governor’s office said the federal investment will reduce the amount of project costs that would otherwise need to be recovered from Indiana utility customers.
