U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Electricity Katie Jereza on Oct. 14 joined Indiana Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworowski and state energy representatives at the Indiana Municipal Power Agency's Carmel, Indiana, headquarters. The event brought together federal, state, and local partners to showcase a unified effort to deploy creative solutions for a more robust energy grid.
The visit put a spotlight on ongoing grid modernization and infrastructure resilience grant projects awarded to IMPA, Centerville, Indiana, and Middletown, Indiana. Together, these three grants represent more than $1.8 million in investments.
The three investments are actively transforming local utility infrastructure across the state:
Indiana Municipal Power Agency
IMPA is investing more than $255,000 to install two advanced software programs -- True Grid Reliability Analytics (TGRA) and Tantalus Transformer Analytics (TTA) -- to monitor the IMPA AMI system operated on behalf of participating members. This technology uses predictive data to fix grid vulnerabilities before they cause problems, leading to fewer outages and faster power restoration times when disruptions do happen.
Town of Centerville
Utilizing $1.1 million to upgrade aging, lower voltage distribution circuits into modern, higher voltage and more efficient distribution circuits. The work also includes replacing aged poles and clearing hazardous vegetation to reduce system interference and outages.
Town of Middletown
Deploying a $474,000 smart, advanced metering infrastructure to actively monitor the local distribution system, pinpoint outage locations and other electric issues, and enable faster response to power interruptions caused by severe weather, high winds, and storms common to central Indiana.
"These grants enable IMPA and our members to make intentional, impactful investments in communities across the state, strengthening the resilience of local electrical infrastructure and safeguarding it for the future," said Jack Alvey, IMPA President and CEO. "These investments will make a tangible, daily difference in the lives of everyday Hoosiers."
“Electricity powers more than homes and businesses. It powers opportunity,” said Jereza. “By modernizing Indiana’s electric grid today, we’re laying the groundwork for communities to attract new industries, create jobs, and power an economy ready for tomorrow.”
"Today’s visit recognizes and acknowledges the hard work Indiana is doing to ensure affordability and reliability for all Hoosiers," Jaworowski said. "These two crucial focal points of Governor Braun’s agenda go hand in hand. Projects like the ones we are recognizing today advance Governor Braun's affordability focus by implementing energy improvements to reduce recurring costs and improve quality of life."
As Indiana's economy demands more power, state and federal partnerships are driving smart grid strategies to match escalating needs, the Indiana Office of Energy Development noted.
The investments target three core objectives of Indiana's Grid Resilience Program: reducing the frequency and duration of power interruptions, fortifying the grid against natural disasters to protect critical community services, and investing in a highly skilled, well-paid workforce.
Jon Ford, Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Energy Development, emphasized that the funding translates into direct, visible benefits for local communities.
"At the Office of Energy Development, our mandate is straightforward: We focus every day on securing affordable, stable, and reliable energy solutions for the benefit of all Hoosiers," Ford said. "We firmly believe that the path forward requires a comprehensive energy policy—one that supports a diverse and balanced portfolio of energy resources. The projects we are recognizing today offer concrete examples of what meaningful, forward-thinking resilience looks like."
