The Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) has announced that four companies are the recipients of financial awards in Wyoming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Section 40101(d) Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid grant program. This funding allows critical infrastructure improvements to be made while mitigating costs to rural customers. The companies receiving funding are Black Hills Energy, Big Horn Rural Electric Company, Niobrara Electric Association and PacifiCorp.
On behalf of the State of Wyoming, the WEA received formula funding in the amount of $8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to award to eligible entities for projects that would increase grid resiliency and reliability. All projects required a cost-match, and all eligible projects were to focus on replacing deteriorating infrastructure, improving planning, and hardening the electric transmission system.
“Hardening and improving Wyoming’s energy infrastructure is vital to ensuring Wyomingites and Wyoming businesses have access to safe, reliable, and affordable power,” said Rob Creager, Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority. “This state is no stranger to extreme weather events ranging from wildfires to strong winds and blizzards. Utilities in Wyoming must always be finding ways to strengthen their grid infrastructure. Through this cost-match program, we help defray some of the costs that could end up burdening ratepayers in Wyoming.”
Black Hills Energy has been awarded $1.5 million for its Underground Distribution Conductor Replacement Project. Replacing over eight miles of vintage underground distribution cable across the Cheyenne system, this work will take place across multiple sections of underground cable across Cheyenne. The system has reached the end of its expected life. While the original installation records do not exist, this vintage cable was installed in the late 1970s through the early 1990s, when the expected life of a system was twenty-five to thirty years. The total project cost is estimated at $2 million.
“Resiliency of our Black Hills Energy systems is crucial,” said Dustin McKen, General Manager of Wyoming Operations for Black Hills Energy. We appreciate the Governor’s Office and Wyoming Energy Authority for this award, which will utilize matched funding to support continued improvements to ensure even higher stability of life-saving energy for customers.”
Big Horn Rural Electric Company (BHREC) has been awarded $3 million for its $15 million project, North Bighorn Forest Overhead to Underground. This project will place thirty-five miles of overhead power lines underground, replacing 1,300 poles between thirty and forty years old on average. Most of this project is on forest service land with an existing thirty-foot right of way. This is a heavily timbered and vegetative area, subject to high winds, heavy snow conditions, and wildfires.
“Big Horn REA would like to thank the State for all the time and effort they have put into this grant,” said Jeff Pillow, General Manager. “The funding from this grant will help Big Horn replace a three-phase overhead power line by putting it underground. The area we chose is our Bear Lodge Mountain line, which is located on the top of the Bighorns in between Sheridan and Lovell. This job will help with liability associated with the risks of fires and will help prevent outages.”
Niobrara Electric Association (NEA) was awarded $1.8 million for its $2.4 million project, redesigning and rebuilding the seventy-year-old distribution line, parts of which are inaccessible, from Manville to Shawnee, Wyoming. The NEA will re-span the line with new poles, reconductor with ice wire, replace all cross arms and pole top assemblies, and make right-of-way accessible by improving the access road.
“Safely providing reliable, affordable energy for our members is Niobrara Electric Association’s top priority,” said Shaylee Hladky, Work Order Clerk and Staking Technician at NEA. “Through this project and the WEA Grid Resiliency Grant, we will be able to continue our ongoing work to strengthen the resiliency and reliability of our system in a cost-effective way for our members.”
PacifiCorp has been awarded $4.4 million for its $10 million project to place underground twenty miles of an electric transmission line along the east entry of Yellowstone National Park. This will create a more resilient and reliable system for Wyoming residents while also supporting one of the key economic centers of the state.
