Chavez Commends Historic Investment Into Ohio's Electric Infrastructure

COLUMBUS— Senator Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) commends the investment announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) into Ohio's electric infrastructure.

"Over the last two years, Ohio had enacted historic reform and investment into our state's energy production," said Senator Chavez. "This historic investment into our electric transmission infrastructure will allow our state's businesses and citizens to take full advantage of the electricity produced right here in Ohio."

On September 24th, the U.S. DOE announced a grant of $273 million to update Ohio's existing high-voltage electric infrastructure via the Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) initiative. 

As part of the total grant award, Governor Mike DeWine announced $137 million is being allocated to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to, in coordination with transmission utilities, modernize existing infrastructure.

PUCO identified that upgrades made from this grant can add the equivalent of 5,820 megawatts of capacity to the grid, effectively displacing the need to build additional power plants or transmission lines.

"This investment, working in combination with the reforms enacted as part of House Bill 15, will further build on Ohio's status as the number one state in the nation to start and run a business," added Senator Chavez.

For more information, read more from the U.S. DOE here.

# # #