The Department of Energy awarded a $57,957,022 Cooperative Agreement under the Clean Energy Demonstrations (CFDA 81.255) program to Nreca Research, a non-profit organization, to create a consortium of rural electric cooperatives and deploy microgrids across seven rural communities in California, North Carolina, Minnesota, Arizona, Tennessee, and Montana. The project aims to demonstrate region-specific energy systems that improve energy access, enhance energy resilience, and increase capacity for renewable energy deployments at the community level. The sub-awardees include Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Flathead Electric Cooperative, Trico Electric Cooperative, and Anza Electric Cooperative, which will each install a combination of solar PV, battery energy storage systems, and distribution upgrades tailored to their local community. The project anticipates creating an estimated 85 full-time temporary jobs and sharing best practices with the broader membership of almost 900 utility cooperatives.
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