The public power communities of Batavia and Peru, Illinois, were among the recipients of grid resilience grants recently announced by the Illinois Finance Authority, in its role as the Illinois Climate Bank.
The second round of IFA’s Grid Resilience Grants program will distribute $12,071,465 to directly benefit more than 38,000 Illinois residents served by rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities across 18 counties, it said on May 28.
Including awardee match funds, a total of $25,593,921 will be invested to upgrade grid infrastructure, rebuild and replace aging power lines, implement technologies to restore power more quickly, and remove overgrown vegetation around high-priority electrical lines.
These grants come from the second round of the IFA’s Grid Resilience Grants program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy under Section 40101(d) of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The IFA was allocated $24,549,822 by the U.S. Department of Energy for the first three years of the program.
Awardees from the IFA’s second round of competitive applications include, among others, the City of Batavia ($1,171,399) and the City of Peru ($681,888).
City of Batavia / Woodland Hills Electric System Upgrade Project
The City of Batavia will convert approximately 5.5 circuit miles of aging, overhead medium-voltage distribution lines to underground infrastructure.
The project, located in Kane County, includes installation of two miles of three phase and 3.5 miles of single phase underground distribution lines, along with new pad mounted transformers, underground junction cabinets, and fault indicators.
The project will reduce outage frequency and improve long term grid reliability by modernizing and undergrounding vulnerable infrastructure. These improvements will directly benefit approximately 2,500 electric customers, including 40 businesses.
The project will also improve service to critical facilities including a fire station, an affordable housing complex, and a senior living residence.
Anticipated operational improvements include a projected 50 percent reduction in outage frequency, a 45 minute reduction in average outage duration, and fewer long duration service interruptions, particularly for customers who have historically experienced recurring outages.
City of Peru / Peru Phase 1 Resiliency Project
The Peru Phase 1 Resiliency Project will strengthen priority overhead and underground distribution lines along roads that serve a vital role in the City’s electrical planning. Improvements include reconductoring 1.5 miles of overhead double circuit lines and installing nearly a half mile of new three phase 35kV underground infrastructure connecting essential grid segments.
The project Project in LaSalle County will replace 36 distribution poles, install resilient wiring, utilize upgraded wood poles, and deploy technology to enable real time pole condition monitoring and improved preventative maintenance.
The project will support reliable service for Peru’s approximately 10,000 customers, the IFA said. The improvements will reduce outage duration and frequency, mitigate impacts from severe weather events, and help lower energy burden for customers.
The initiative will also support skilled jobs and provide workforce training to ensure personnel are equipped to operate and maintain upgraded grid assets. "Prioritizing system improvements in historically underserved communities will advance equitable access to reliable electric service and support long term community resilience," IFA said.
