Financial Assistance

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Part 1

Department of Energy (DOE)

Office of Electricity (OE)

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced

Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) – [Grid Resilience and

Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Round 3]

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003580

Application due: May 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET

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Modifications

All Modifications to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are highlighted in green, in the body of the NOFO.

Mod No. Date Description

1 • Changed Informational Webinar posting date.

• Modified Section II.A.2 - Participant Limitations to clarify that Tennessee Valley Authority is eligible to apply as a subrecipient under all Topic Areas.

• Modified Section III.F. - Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience

(IIJA Section 40101(c)) to clarify the wording around applications that are not of interest, in order to be fully consistent with wording in the IIJA statute.

• Section IV.C - Concept Paper to delete the sentence: "Each concept paper must be limited to a single concept, technology, or project."

4/2/2026

Table of Contents

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. BASIC INFORMATION

A. Key Facts

1. Funding Details

2. Period of Performance

B. Executive Summary C. Agency Contact Information

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Restricted Eligibility

2. Domestic Entities

3. Foreign Entity Participation

4. Performance of Work in the United States

5. Ineligible Participants

B. Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Applications Eligible for Review C. Cost Sharing

1. Cost Share Requirements

2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Background and Context B. Program Purpose C. Program Goals and Objectives D. Expected Performance Goals/Outcomes E. Topic Areas Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience Topic Area 2: Smart Grid Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation F. Applications Specifically Not of Interest G. Statement of Substantial Involvement H. Statutory Authority

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORM

A. Use and Disclosure of Application Information B. Summary C. Concept Paper D. Application Content Requirements

1. Covered Individual Definition, Designation, and Responsibility

2. Summary of Application Requirements

3. Impacted Indian Tribes Documentation

4. Technical Volume

5. Biographical Sketch

6. Current and Pending (Other) Support

7. Project Description and Assurances Document (PDAD)

8. Report on Resilience Investments (Topic Area 1 only)

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9. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861 (Topic Area 1, small utilities only) F. Funding Restrictions

1. Buy America Preference for Infrastructure Projects

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. Required Registrations

1. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

2. eXCHANGE

3. Grants.gov Registration

B. Application Package

1. eXCHANGE

C. Submission Date and Times D. Intergovernmental Review

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Standards for Application Evaluation B. Responsiveness Review C. Review Criteria

1. Compliance Criteria

2. Technical Review Criteria

Concept Papers Applications

D. Other Selection Factors

VII. SELECTION AND AWARD NOTICES

VIII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

1. Real Property and Equipment

2. Go/No-Go Review

3. Cybersecurity Plan

4. Government Rights in Data

5. Invoice Review and Approval

6. Cost Share Payment

B. Helpful Websites C. Questions and Support

1. Questions

2. Support

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

Acronyms

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Notice of Funding Opportunity Part 1

Before You Begin

Before You Begin

Navigating the Notice of Funding Opportunity

To reduce the burden on applicants in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process and limit the length of the NOFO information requests, DOE separated the NOFO into two parts.

This document, NOFO Part 1, describes the DOE program goals and evaluation criteria, eligibility, and other components for each funding opportunity. NOFO Part 2 includes the fixed

DOE requirements that generally do not change from NOFO to NOFO, including standard information for the application phase, expectations for award negotiations, and post-award requirements. Applicants must review both parts before applying. To assist you in the process, you will find references throughout this document to additional information found in Part 2.

You must take several one-time actions before applying. Some of these actions may take several weeks, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to complete them. If you do not complete all required steps, it could interfere with application and negotiation deadlines or your ability to receive an award if selected. If you have already completed the one-time registrations, make sure they are active and up to date. All registrations are free. You can find additional information in NOFO Part 2, Get Registered.

This announcement is published with NOFO Part 2 Version 3.0.

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Section I. Basic Information

I. Basic Information

A. Key Facts

Issuing Agency

Department of Energy, Office of Electricity (OE)

Funding

Opportunity Title

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) — Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced

Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) — [Grid

Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Round 3]

Announcement

Version

Initial

Funding

Opportunity

Number

DE-FOA-0003580

Instrument

Cooperative Agreements

Expected Total

Available Funding

DOE anticipates approximately $1.9 billion to be available under this Funding Opportunity

Assistance Listing

Number and

Name

81.254 Grid Infrastructure Deployment and Resilience

Announcement

Type

Research, Development and Demonstration (Deployment)

Opportunity

Description

SPARK is an opportunity to meet load demand growth and resource adequacy, and to address critical national, interregional, and regional needs. OE achieves these goals by stimulating investment in power system infrastructure and building partnerships between states, local governments, tribes, and power system operators to enhance reliability and affordability of the electric grid.

Projects submitted under this NOFO must demonstrate measurable improvements in electric grid capacity and system value (usefulness), combining physical capacity gains, which include solutions such as reconductoring or other infrastructure upgrades with operational efficiency and/or flexibility from other Advanced Transmission Technologies (ATTs).

Applications must show how these complementary technologies expand transfer capability, strengthen reliability and resource

KEY DATES

All deadlines are

5:00 p.m. ET unless indicated otherwise

Notice of

Opportunity

Issue Date:

March 12, 2026

Informational

Webinar:

March 20, 2026

Concept Paper

Deadline:

April 2, 2026

Application

Deadline:

May 20, 2026

Anticipated

Selection

Notification

Date:

August 2026

Anticipated

Award Date:

October 2026 –

January 2027

Estimated

Period of

Performance:

Oct ‘26/Jan ‘27

– Oct ‘30/Jan

‘31

Version 3.0 Page 7 of 61 adequacy, and reduce consumer cost impact while utilizing existing rights of way. DOE will prioritize projects that can be implemented quickly to deliver durable physical upgrades and dynamic operational gains that together increase the value, performance, security, resilience, affordability, and reliability of the nation’s electric grid.

Program Goals &

Objectives

• Stabilize —to address existing constraints on the system.

• Optimize—to improve performance of existing infrastructure.

• Grow—to access dispatchable resources needed to reliably serve forecasted power demand.

Topic Areas

• Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience (IIJA Section 40101[c])

• Topic Area 2: Smart Grid (IIJA Section 40107)

• Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation Program (IIJA Section

40103[b])

Eligible

Applicants

For all topic areas, eligibility is restricted to domestic entities.

Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience (IIJA Section 40101[c])

• electric grid operator

• electricity storage operator

• electricity generator

• transmission owner or operator

• distribution provider

• fuel supplier

• any other relevant entity, as determined by the Secretary.

Topic Area 2: Smart Grid (IIJA Section 40107)

• Domestic Entities o institutes of higher education o for-profit entities o non-profit entities o state and local government entities o Indian tribes

Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation Program (IIJA Section 40103[b])

• state

• combination of two or more states

• Indian tribe

• unit of local government

• public utility commission.

eXCHANGE URL and Helpdesk

Infrastructure eXCHANGE: Funding Opportunities

InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov

NOFO Email DE-FOA-0003580@netl.doe.gov https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov mailto:DE-FOA-0003580@netl.doe.gov

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1. Funding Details

Multiple Topic Areas

DOE anticipates approximately $1.9 billion for FY2026.

• Approximate total available funding: $427 million in FY2026

• Approximate number of awards: 5–10

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $10,000,000–

$100,000,0001

• Minimum cost share required: 50% of the total project costs2 o Exception for small utilities: The minimum cost share required for an eligible small utility (sells no more than 4,000,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year) is 25% of total project costs.3 o Section II, Part C.1 provides additional information on Cost Sharing and the table below shows the conversion calculation of the cost match requirement to cost sharing.

Table 1: Cost Match to Cost Share conversion

Topic Area 1: Section 40101c

The following shows how the statutory cost match percentage (which is based on a percentage of the federal share) is converted to a cost share percentage (which is based on total project costs), for purposes of this

NOFO and resulting awards.

Maximum

Federal

Share (S) Entity Type

Non-

Federal

Minimum

Cost Match

Required

Calculated

Non-Federal

Minimum

Cost Match

(S)

Total

Project Cost

(S)

Calculated

Federal Share of Total

Project Costs

Calculated

Non-Federal

Cost Share of

Total Project

Costs (%)

$100,000,000

Eligible

Entity

(except for

Small

Utilities)

100% $100,000,000 $200,000,000 50% 50%

$100,000,000 Small Utility 33.33% $33,330,000 $133,330,000 75% 25%

1 DOE cannot award a cooperative agreement to an eligible entity greater than “the total amount that the eligible entity has spent in the previous 3 years on efforts to reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events”. DOE will interpret “efforts to reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events” as those activities, technologies, equipment, and hardening measures eligible for award under this provision.

2 A 50% cost share requirement is equivalent to the 100% cost match required by the statute. Cost share is a percentage of total project costs, and cost match is a percentage of the

DOE share. This NOFO uses cost share rather than cost match for calculations and to keep terminology consistent across all topic areas and projects.

3 A 25% cost share is equivalent to a 1/3 cost match required by the statute. Cost share is a percentage of total project costs, and cost match is a percentage of the DOE share. This NOFO uses cost share rather than cost match for calculations and to keep terminology consistent across all topic areas and projects.

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• Approximate award project period: up to 48 months

• As required by law, 30% of the total funding available for Topic Area 1 must be set aside for small utilities (entities that sell no more than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity per year.)

(42 U.S.C. § 18711[c][5]). DOE anticipates approximately three to six awards will go to small utilities, provided they are an eligible applicant.

• Approximate total available funding: $614 million in FY2026

• Approximate number of awards: 25–40

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $10,000,000–

$50,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 50% of the total project costs o Section II, Part C.1 provides additional information on cost sharing.

• Approximate total available funding: $862 million in FY2026

• Approximate number of awards: 3–8

• Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $100,000,000–

$250,000,000

• Minimum cost share required: 50% of the total project costs o Section II, Part C.1 provides additional information on cost sharing.

2. Period of Performance

DOE anticipates making awards comprised of one budget period with Go/No-Go

Decision Points. Project continuation will be contingent upon several elements, including satisfactory performance and DOE’s Go/No-Go decision. You can find a complete list and more information on the Go/No-Go review in NOFO Part 2, Award Administration Information.

B. Executive Summary

Projects funded under this NOFO must demonstrate measurable improvements in electric grid capacity and system value (usefulness), combining physical capacity gains from reconductoring with operational efficiency and/or flexibility from other Advanced Transmission

Technologies. Applications must show how these complementary technologies:

• Expand transfer capability

• Strengthen reliability and resource adequacy

• Reduce consumer cost impact while utilizing existing rights of way

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DOE will prioritize projects that can be implemented quickly to deliver durable physical upgrades and dynamic operational gains that together increase the value, performance, security, resilience, affordability, and reliability of the nation’s electric grid. Detailed technical descriptions of the topic areas are provided in the sections that follow.

C. Agency Contact Information

For questions relating to this NOFO, email us at DE-FOA-0003580@netl.doe.gov.

mailto:DE-FOA-0003580@netl.doe.gov

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Section II. Eligibility

II. Eligibility

To be considered for substantive evaluation, an applicant’s submission must meet the criteria set forth below. If the application does not meet these eligibility requirements, it will be considered ineligible and removed from further evaluation and ineligible for any award. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this NOFO must be submitted. The decision of whether to apply in response to this NOFO lies solely with the applicant. The information included here is specific to eligibility requirements for this NOFO. For eligibility requirements applicable to all NOFOs, please consult the NOFO

Part 2, Eligibility.

A. Eligible Applicants

1. Restricted Eligibility

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 910.126, Competition, DOE restricted eligibility for

Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 3 to incorporate the eligibility requirements set forth in sections

40101[c] and 40103[b] of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as codified at

42 U.S.C. § 18711 and 42 U.S.C. § 18712 [c], respectively.

2. Domestic Entities

Recipients:

The following domestic entities are eligible to participate as a recipient of this NOFO:

• Electric grid operator

• Electricity storage operator

• Electricity generator

• Transmission owner or operator

• Distribution provider

• Fuel supplier

• Any other relevant entity, as determined by the Secretary

• Domestic Entities

• Institutes of higher education (as defined in Title 20 U.S.C. § 1001)

• For-profit organizations

• Non-profit organizations

• State and local government entities

• Indian tribes (as defined in Section 4[e] of the Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. § 5304)4

4 Indian Tribe, as defined in Section (e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. § 1601, et

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• State

• Combination of two or more states

• Indian tribes (as defined in Section 4[e] of the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C.§ 5304)5

• Unit of local government

• Public utility commission

Subrecipients:

The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a subrecipient of this

NOFO:

• Institutions of higher education (See 20 U.S.C. § 1001 for the definition)

• For-profit organization

• Nonprofit organization

• State and local governmental entities

• Indian tribes (as defined in section 4[e] of the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. § 5304)6

To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must:

• Be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States or under the laws of the United States

• Have majority domestic ownership and control

• Have a physical place of business in the United States

Participant Limitations

Participation of the following entities is limited as follows:

• Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to participate as a subrecipient but are not eligible to apply as a recipient, except for the

Tennessee Valley Authority, which is eligible to participate as a recipient and as a subrecipient under Topic Area 1.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is not eligible for award under this announcement and may not be proposed as a subrecipient on another entity’s application.

An application that includes NETL as a recipient or subrecipient will be considered non-responsive.

3. Foreign Entity Participation

Foreign entities are those entities that do not meet the definition of domestic entity as stated in Section II.A.2, above. In general, foreign entities are not eligible to apply as either a recipient or

5 Indian Tribe, as defined in Section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education

Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established according to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688)

[43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], is eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United

States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

6 Id.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:25%20section:5304%20edition:prelim) https://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/92/203.pdf#:~:text=688%20PUBLIC%20LAW%2092-203-DEC.%2018%2C%201971%20%5B85%20STAT.,and%20for%20other%20purposes.%20Alaska%20Native%20Claims%20Settlement https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:43%20section:1601%20edition:prelim)

Version 3.0 Page 13 of 61 subrecipient. In limited circumstances, we may approve a waiver to allow a foreign entity to participate as a recipient or subrecipient.

A foreign entity may apply for this NOFO, but the application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request. Likewise, if you want to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, you must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in your application for each proposed foreign subrecipient.

You can find the requirements for submitting a foreign entity waiver request in NOFO

Part 2, Application Content Requirements. If we deny your waiver request, you cannot appeal our decision.

4. Performance of Work in the United States

All work for awards under this NOFO must be performed in the United States. To request a waiver of this requirement, you must submit an explicit waiver request in the application.

Without an approved waiver, costs associated with any work performed outside of the United

States will not be allowable under the award. NOFO Part 2, Application Content Requirements lists the requirements for submitting a foreign work waiver request.

5. Ineligible Participants

The following entities are ineligible for this NOFO as a recipient, subrecipient, or subcontractor:

• Entities banned from doing business with the U.S. government, such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for federal programs

(2 C.F.R 200.214)

• Entities identified on the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control’s

“Specially Designated Nationals List” ([OFAC - Sanctions List Service [treas.gov])

• Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of

1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995

Entity of Concern Prohibition

Entities of Concern are prohibited from participating in projects under this NOFO. You can find details and definitions in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility, Other Eligibility Information, Entity of

Concern Prohibition.

B. Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Applications

Eligible for Review

An entity may submit only one concept paper and one associated application for each topic area of this NOFO. If an entity submits more than one, we will only review the last timely submission. Any other submissions listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible. This limitation does not prohibit an entity from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one concept paper and one associated application for each topic area of this NOFO.

https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList

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C. Cost Sharing

Applicants are expected to follow through on estimated cost share commitments proposed in their applications if selected for award negotiations. You can find more information on cost sharing in NOFO Part 2, Eligibility.

1. Cost Share Requirements

Topic

Area

Topic Area Title Cost Share Requirement

1 Grid Resilience

(IIJA section 40101[c])

The cost share must be at least 50% of the total project costs and must come from nonfederal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.7

Exception for small utilities: The cost share for an eligible small utility (sells no more than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity per year) is at least 25% of the total project costs and must come from nonfederal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.8

2 Smart Grid

(IIJA section 40107)

The cost share must be at least 50% of the total project costs and must come from nonfederal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.

3 Grid Innovation

Program (IIJA section

40103[b])

The cost share must be at least 50% of the total project costs and must come from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law (section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005

[42 U.S.C. 16352[c]).9

Total project costs are the sum of the government share, including costs from National

Laboratories and Federal Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) costs if applicable, and the recipient share of project costs.

Federal loans, considered non-appropriated funds, may be used as cost share as long as authorized under the loan terms. The same applies to nonfederal loans and debt financing.

7 A 50% cost share requirement is equivalent to the 100% cost match required by the statute. Cost share is a percentage of total project costs, and cost match is a percentage of the DOE share. This NOFO uses cost share rather than cost match for calculations and to keep terminology consistent across all topic areas and projects.

8 A 25% cost share is equivalent to a 1/3 cost match required by the statute. Cost share is a percentage of total project costs, and cost match is a percentage of the DOE share. This NOFO uses cost share rather than cost match for calculations and to keep terminology consistent across all topic areas and projects.

9 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, Sec. 988. Also see 2 C.F.R. 200.306 and

2 C.F.R. 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements.

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2. Unallowable Cost Share Sources

The recipient and subrecipient(s) may not use the following sources to meet cost share obligations:

• Cost share that does not meet:

o Requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. § 200.306 and 910.130;

o Cost principles set forth in 2 C.F.R. § 200.400-476 and 2 C.F.R. § 910.352; or o For State Energy Programs, refer to 10 C.F.R. § 420.

• Cost share derived from the DOE loan program;

• Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period;

• Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity;

• Federal funding or property (e.g., federal grants, equipment owned by the Federal

Government);

• Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate federal program;

• Cash or in-kind contributions used to meet cost share requirements for another federal project or program;

• Existing data as an in-kind contribution (e.g., data owned by an entity, that is not routinely sold commercially but is instead donated to the project and assigned a value);

• In general, deferred or avoided costs such as unrealized tax credits; or

• DOE Loan Guarantees

D. FFRDC Eligibility Criteria

National Laboratories and FFRDCs are not eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient and may not be proposed as a subrecipient on another entity’s application. This restriction applies to both DOE/NNSA and non-DOE/NNSA National Laboratories and FFRDCs.

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Section III. Program Description

III. Program Description

A. Background and Context

The Office of Electricity is issuing this NOFO. Awards made under this NOFO will be funded with appropriations under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), P.L. 117 - 58. Coupled with the Secretary’s orders to support the Administration’s priorities to unleash American energy and address the nation’s energy emergency, the IIJA provides a mechanism to:

• Protect “the United States’ economic and national security and military preparedness by ensuring that an abundant supply of reliable energy is readily accessible in every State and territory of the Nation”

• Promote “the integrity and expansion of our Nation's energy infrastructure—from coast to coast” as an immediate and pressing priority for the protection of the United States’ national and economic security

• Promote the use of “all available power generation resources, particularly those secure, redundant fuel supplies that are capable of extended operations” 10,11,12,13

Additional DOE resources to inform applicants:

• DOE released a Resource Adequacy Report in July 2025 identifying regions most vulnerable to outages under various weather and retirement scenarios and offering capacity targets needed to restore acceptable reliability.14

• DOE launched the Speed to Power initiative in September 2025, a federal action to accelerate the speed of large-scale grid infrastructure project development for both transmission and generation.

• DOE funded ATT and High-Performance Conductors (HPC) research and deployment and planning technical studies at national labs and with U.S. industry and academia.

These groups have studies you can cite as part of your application.

• Digital Assurance Technical Assistance: DOE provides educational resources, training, and technical assistance from its world-class experts and researchers at the national labs as part of the Program.

• DOE initiated a state technical assistance program and expanded technical assistance offerings for utilities and regional planners in long-term transmission planning.15,16

10 Secretary Wright Acts to “Unleash Golden Era of American Energy Dominance” |

Department of Energy.

11 Executive Order 14156 (Declaring a National Energy Emergency).

12 Unleashing American Energy – The White House.

13 Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid – The

White House.

14 Department of Energy Releases Report on Evaluating U.S. Grid Reliability and

Security | Department of Energy.

15 State TA Program | Energy Markets & Policy.

16 Grid Deployment Office Expands Utility-Specific Long-Term Transmission Planning

Technical Assistance Offerings | Department of Energy.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/17386 https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-wright-acts-unleash-golden-era-american-energy-dominance https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-wright-acts-unleash-golden-era-american-energy-dominance https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-14156-declaring-national-energy-emergency https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-the-reliability-and-security-of-the-united-states-electric-grid/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-the-reliability-and-security-of-the-united-states-electric-grid/ https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security https://emp.lbl.gov/projects/state-TA-program https://www.energy.gov/gdo/articles/grid-deployment-office-expands-utility-specific-long-term-transmission-planning https://www.energy.gov/gdo/articles/grid-deployment-office-expands-utility-specific-long-term-transmission-planning

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• The Advanced Conductor Scan Report provides detailed information on the benefits of reconductoring and how advanced conductors will play an important role in solving challenges to the grid.

B. Program Purpose

The Office of Electricity leads the U.S. Department of Energy’s Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment (RDD&D) efforts to strengthen and modernize our nation’s power grid and maintain reliable, affordable, and secure electricity delivery infrastructure.17 OE is dedicated to pioneering innovations to advance a 21st-century grid and the tenets of Gold

Standard Science, where applicable.18

The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program provides up to

$10.5 billion in competitive funding over five years to states, Indian tribes, electric utilities, and other eligible recipients to strengthen grid resilience and innovation (sections 40101[c], 40103[b], and 40107 of the IIJA). OE administers this program with NETL.19

The GRIP Program had two prior funding opportunities, covering fiscal years (FY)2022–

2023 and FY2023–FY2024. To clarify the program’s new emphasis, this funding opportunity has been renamed Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key

Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK). Training elements are not allowable costs for this NOFO, either as DOE Share or Cost Share, unless specific to the operation and management of the technology (EO 14236 [March 14, 2025]).20

SPARK is an opportunity to meet load demand growth and resource adequacy and to address critical national, interregional, and regional needs. OE achieves these goals by stimulating investment in power system infrastructure and building partnerships between states, local governments, tribes, and power system operators to enhance reliability and affordability of the electric grid. A comprehensive approach that considers all opportunities within the IIJA should include coordinated effort between stakeholders to guide investment strategies for improving resilience beyond what the IIJA can directly support.

C. Program Goals and Objectives

The Office of Electricity is looking for projects that will help lower electricity costs by expanding transfer capability, relieving congestion, and improving the efficiency and reliability of the grid. To ensure near-term additions of dispatchable capacity, projects that include non-dispatchable, intermittent generation, such as wind or solar, are not considered responsive to this

17 https://www.energy.gov/oe/office-electricity.

18 https://www.energy.gov/gold-standard-science.

19 The GRIP program was administered through the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) until

December 2025, when GDO merged under OE as part of a DOE re-alignment.

20 EO 14236 revoked EO 14126, “Investing in America and Investing in American

Workers” and EO14119, “Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in

Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums” https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/20/2025-04866/additional-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions.

https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Advanced%20Conductor%20Report%20December%202023.pdf https://www.energy.gov/oe/office-electricity https://www.energy.gov/gold-standard-science https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/20/2025-04866/additional-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/20/2025-04866/additional-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions

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NOFO. Instead, DOE is prioritizing projects that can be implemented quickly to deliver durable physical upgrades and dynamic operational gains that increase the value, performance, security, affordability, and reliability of the nation’s electric grid.

The kinds of projects OE is prioritizing include those such as:

• Reconductoring with advanced conductors o These projects could increase the power-carrying capability of existing transmission corridors, thereby allowing more electric energy to reach load centers and deferring the need for costly new infrastructure.

• Advanced Transmission Technologies that can increase the usable capacity of existing assets in real time o These projects could reduce congestion charges, thereby minimizing the need for costly curtailments and potentially deferring the need for larger transmission projects.

• Large-scale, cross-regional transmission upgrades and coordinated planning o These projects could further lower electricity costs by opening pathways for power to flow between regions, allowing the grid to support new and existing loads.

Collectively, this program seeks projects that would transform existing infrastructure into higher performing, more resilient, and more economically efficient systems, which translates to more affordable electricity. OE will collect data from the SPARK/GRIP projects and prior-year project data to evaluate key takeaways.

OE anticipates integrating any project data submitted under the performance of awards into DOE's Metrics and Benefits Program. This program uses submitted information to conduct comprehensive analyses. The primary objective is to quantify and evaluate the benefits and impacts of the selected projects from this NOFO, contributing to a broader understanding of its contributions to DOE's mission and objectives.

Projects selected under this NOFO will deploy a range of technical solutions at all levels of the electric system but will primarily focus on grid systems and components. Detailed technical descriptions of the specific topic areas are provided in the sections that follow.

D. Expected Performance Goals/Outcomes

Projects submitted under this NOFO must demonstrate measurable improvements in electric grid capacity and system value (usefulness) as well as physical capacity gains. Examples include solutions such as reconductoring or other infrastructure upgrades with operational efficiency or flexibility from other ATTs. Applications must show how their projects expand transfer capability, strengthen reliability and resource adequacy, and reduce consumer cost impact while using existing rights of way. DOE will prioritize projects that can be implemented quickly to deliver durable physical upgrades and dynamic operational gains that together increase the value, performance, security, affordability, and reliability of the nation’s electric grid.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/16422

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Applicants must propose projects that support one or more of the following benefits:

(a) Capacity Increase and Deliverability

• Demonstrated ≥ 50% increase in power-carrying or transfer capability for physical upgrades (e.g., reconductoring) or ≥ 25% increase in transfer capability for operational and digital upgrades (including, but not limited to topology optimization, dynamic line ratings (DLR), and dynamic protection schemes).

• Quantified increase in transfer capability to enable the deliverability of stranded or underused generation (megawatt (MW) enabled or MWh delivered).

• Demonstrated ability to enable new or high-growth load areas, that may include data centers, industrial clusters, and manufacturing corridors.

(b) Reliability and Resource Adequacy

• Measurable improvement in system reliability (e.g., reduction in contingency severity, damping or reductions in oscillations, outage duration and frequency, loss of load probability, planning reserve margin, or unserved energy).

• Documented reduction in transmission congestion, losses, or curtailment during high-risk hours.

• Avoided capital costs to meet resource adequacy requirements (e.g., planning reserve margins) in affected balancing area or planning region.

• Enhanced capability to share reserves or transfer across seams (if applicable) to strengthen regional reliability.

(c) Affordability and Consumer Benefit

• Verified production or capital cost savings.

• Demonstrated cost-effectiveness relative to a new transmission build.

• Avoided or deferred transmission facilities in transmission planning processes.

• Demonstrated mitigations and reductions to risk and uncertainty in operations.

• Demonstrated payback period ≤ 10 years.

(d) Replicability and Scale-Up Framework (if applicable)

• Documented approach for replication and permitting acceleration.

• Demonstrated integration of data, models, or cost-benefit methods that can inform other DOE, state, or regional planning processes.

In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American

Energy, projects will be prioritized by their ability to deliver appreciable results quickly in light of our national energy emergency stressing the need for a reliable, affordable, and secure supply of energy to sustain the basics of modern life and military preparedness.

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E. Topic Areas

Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience

Authority: IIJA section 40101(c)

1. Objectives

This topic area supports projects that strengthen grid reliability and resilience through reconductoring and deploying other ATTs. These projects must expand the transfer capability of existing transmission or sub-transmission, improve system flexibility, and reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events.

Projects must replace or supplement existing hardening or reliability efforts and reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events through reconductoring and other ATTs.

Applications must demonstrate measurable capacity and resilience gains and deliver regional benefits consistent with the statutory intent of IIJA section 40101(c) and the Administration’s

Executive Orders on Unleashing American Energy and Strengthening the Reliability and

Security of the U.S. Electric Grid.

DOE is looking for applications that:

• Replace existing conductors with advanced, high-capacity, low-sag conductors to increase the power-carrying capacity along existing rights-of-way.

• Deploy ATTs such as dynamic line rating, advanced power flow control, topology optimization, and flexible transformers to enhance transfer capability, reduce congestion, and improve situational awareness.

2. Technical Approaches of Interest

Applicants should propose transformational approaches to modernize infrastructure;

mitigate hazards; and advance reliability, resilience, and energy security. Applications must focus on one or more of the following:

(a) Transmission System Expansion and Upgrades:

• Transmission Reconductoring: Reconductor existing transmission lines using conventional or advanced conductors to achieve at least a 50% increase in transfer capability.21

• Ancillary Hardening Upgrades: Incorporate reconductoring and system upgrades as part of hardening initiatives that enhance overall reliability and resilience.

(b) Advanced Transmission Technologies and Advanced Solutions:

• ATT Deployment: Use dynamic line rating, modular power flow control, flexible transformers, topology optimization, and software-controlled power flow devices to optimize the grid, increase operational efficiency, and improve resilience without new rights-of-way.

21 Generally, advanced transmission conductors are technologies that can be used to increase the pace of transmission capacity growth at a lower cost and with less impact to communities than traditional conductors. For additional information on advanced conductors, see Applied Grid Solutions - Idaho National Laboratory.

https://inl.gov/national-security/applied-grid-solutions/

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• Projects that use advanced technologies or reconductoring to identify, minimize, or mitigate the risk of specific hazards (such as, but not limited to, wildfires), which includes but is not limited to projects that include reconductoring and

ATTs that improve overall reliability and resilience.

Eligible activities can include:

• Replace, add, or modify terminal equipment, bus work, circuit breakers, and transformers needed to accommodate higher current, voltage, or thermal limits.

• Modernize protection and control systems to maintain coordination and system stability under new operating conditions.

• Integrate communication and control infrastructure that enables real-time operation of ATTs and advanced monitoring.

• Install measurement and validation equipment to verify performance metrics

(transfer capability, reliability, etc.).

These activities are of interest only when they are necessary to realize or safely operate the reconductoring or ATT improvements. Standalone substation replacements or expansions not directly tied to such projects are not of interest under this Topic Area.

3. Requirements

• Projects must be supplemental to existing or planned reliability, resilience, and hardening efforts.

• Projects should not include construction of new generation or storage facilities, except where such facilities are directly integrated as control elements of ATT systems for resilience.

• Applicants must provide basic technical specifications of the currently operating and proposed systems, including conductor type, rating, line length, and connecting buses or substations.

• Applicants must demonstrate a quantifiable increase in transfer capability attributable to the proposed project. This demonstration shall include baseline transfer capability values and projected post-project transfer capability values, expressed in MW and as a percentage increase, supported by industry-standard engineering models, simulations, or validated performance data.

• Applicants must demonstrate a benefit to the grid, consumers, or national priorities by documenting how the proposed project contributes to one or more of the following areas:

• Supporting load growth and reducing large-load interconnection costs

• Alleviating congestion and reducing electricity consumer costs

• Increasing power system reliability or resource adequacy.

Supporting documentation can include reports, studies, or supplemental analysis quantifying the expected benefit.

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Topic Area 2: Smart Grid

Authority: IIJA Section 40107

The Smart Grid Topic Area aims to support projects focused on deploying advanced grid technologies. This initiative is looking for innovative application of cutting-edge, market-ready technologies, which may include new devices, materials, engineering designs, or software tools. These projects are intended to strengthen grid reliability and resilience through reconductoring and deploying other Advanced Transmission Technologies. Projects will expand the transfer capability of existing transmission and sub-transmission lines, improve system flexibility, and reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events. This topic supports projects that enhance the efficiency, reliability, and operational flexibility of the electric grid through smart grid technologies that enable real-time monitoring, control, and optimization of grid assets. DOE will focus primarily on projects that combine Advanced

Transmission Technologies and reconductoring to achieve measurable increases in transfer capability and operational intelligence.

Projects must demonstrate how digitalization, automation, and data-driven technologies improve existing transmission and sub-transmission systems while delivering measurable affordability benefits to ratepayers through reduced congestion costs, deferred capital investment, and improved efficiency of existing assets. Projects should provide quantifiable improvements in grid performance, situational awareness, and resilience through modernization and smart control.

DOE seeks applications for smart grids, specifically those designed to support new load integration, that:

• Integrate ATTs or reconductoring in ways that enable dynamic operations and increase transfer capability on existing rights-of-way

• Deploy advanced conductors and smart grid technologies that improve operational flexibility, reliability, and affordability

• Enhance data visibility and control through communications, automation, and analytics that directly support improved reliability

• Provide replicable approaches for regional scale-up and commercialization of combined

ATTs and reconductoring deployments

• Support integration of backup generation enabling solutions (e.g., controls, telemetry, coordination) tailored for large load integration with mechanisms for grid-support services

(a) Advanced Transmission Technologies

Deploy technologies in a smart grid that increase operational flexibility through smart, data-driven control. Approaches of Interest include:

• DLR and real-time thermal rating systems, such as ambient adjusted line ratings

• Topology optimization and advanced power flow control technologies that dynamically reroute power

• Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) or modular flow controllers

• Digital substation automation to integrate and control ATTs across multiple assets

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(b) Reconductoring as a Smart Grid Enabler

Reconductoring is eligible under Section 40107 only when it directly supports smart grid functionality. DOE is looking for projects that:

• Replace existing conductors with advanced conductors compatible with other

ATTs

• Integrate optical ground wire or embedded sensors to enable data collection and communications for grid monitoring

• Perform targeted reconductoring that unlocks the full potential of ATT deployments and allows digital controls to operate at scale

• Upgrade associated protection, communication, or substation equipment required to realize the benefits of digital operations and automated power flow control

Standalone reconductoring projects that do not include smart grid integration are not of interest under this Topic Area.

(c) Communications and Cybersecurity Integration

Projects should incorporate or use advanced communication systems, optical fiber, secure wireless or equivalent to enable real-time operation of the Smart Grid. Cybersecurity measures consistent with DOE and NIST Smart Grid Frameworks, as well as North

American Electric Reliability Corporation Reliability Standards, are required.

• Applicants must provide basic technical specifications of the currently operating and proposed systems, including conductor type, rating, line length, and connecting buses or substations.

• Applicants must demonstrate a quantifiable increase in transfer capability attributable to the proposed project. This demonstration must include baseline transfer capability values and projected post-project transfer capability values, expressed in MW and as a percentage increase, supported by industry-standard engineering models, simulations, or validated performance data.

• Applicants must demonstrate a benefit to the grid, consumers, or national priorities by documenting how the proposed project contributes to one or more of the following areas:

• Supporting load growth and reducing large-load interconnection costs

• Increasing power system reliability or resource adequacy

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Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation

Authority: IIJA section 40103(b)

The Grid Innovation Topic Area supports high-impact, innovative projects that enhance grid reliability and resilience, with a focus on transmission systems that facilitate development of new large loads. This topic prioritizes large-scale, multi-jurisdictional demonstrations aimed at expanding transfer capability between transmission-planning regions.

DOE will concentrate on projects that use reconductoring, other Advanced Transmission

Technologies, and advanced coordination tools to alleviate system constraints and enable measurable, affordable expansion of transfer capability. Applications that offer novel technical, planning, or organizational approaches that are replicable and can be scaled to support the efficient integration of new large loads will take priority. Furthermore, successful applications must demonstrate replicable approaches that accelerate permitting and interconnection processes, thereby improving overall system reliability and affordability.

Required partnerships among states, tribes, utilities, Independent System

Operators (ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), and regional planners are essential to ensure projects deliver cross-jurisdictional benefits and promote a robust, integrated grid capable of supporting substantial new electrical demand.

• Transmission Expansion and Upgrades: Substantially upgrade transmission lines and associated facilities to achieve at least a 50% increase in transfer capability, with an emphasis on supporting power delivery to new large loads and expanding transfer capability between planning regions.

• Advanced Transmission Technologies: dynamic line rating, advanced power flow control, and digital automation to optimize real-time transfer capability and manage operational complexities.

• Cross-Regional Coordination and Planning: Develop shared modeling, cost allocation mechanisms, and streamlined permitting frameworks across RTO/ISO boundaries to facilitate efficient planning, operation, and reconductoring of…