The West Virginia Office of Energy will administer federal grid resilience funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Section 40101(d) Formula Grant Program. Through the West Virginia Resilience Planning Project (WVRPP), eligible electric-sector entities can apply for competitive grants to harden infrastructure, modernize equipment, and improve service reliability for customers across the state.
Program Purpose
This program supports projects that reduce the likelihood and consequences of power outages caused by storms, extreme weather, and other disruptive events.
Funding may be used to:
- Decrease the number and duration of customer outages
- Update aging or vulnerable grid components
- Improve resilience against all hazards (flooding, extreme heat, winter storms, landslides, wind, wildfires, etc.)
- Support increased electrification where feasible
- Strengthen the workforce responsible for building, operating, and maintaining grid resilience technologies
Eligible Applicants
Entities that may apply include:
- Electric grid operators
- Transmission owners or operators
- Electricity storage operators
- Other relevant entities, as determined by the WVOE
- Distribution providers
- Electricity generators
- Fuel suppliers
Eligible Projects
Projects must directly support grid resilience and reduce impacts from disruptive events.
Eligible measures include:
- Hardening or upgrading infrastructure (power lines, poles, substations, equipment)
- Reconductoring or replacing overhead and underground conductors
- Monitoring, modeling, and control technologies
- Adaptive protection technologies
- Workforce training and credentialing related to resilient technologies
- Undergrounding electrical equipment where strategic
- Vegetation and fuel-load management
- Advanced conductors and low-sag technologies
- Relocation of power lines
- Microgrids and battery-storage subcomponents used during disruptive events
Ineligible project types include:
- New generation facilities
- Battery-storage systems not used exclusively during disruptive events
- Cybersecurity-only projects
- Any activity that does not directly reduce outage likelihood or consequences
Funding & Cost Match
All applicants must provide a cost match:
- 100% match for entities that sell > 4,000,000 MWh/year
- ⅓ match for entities that sell ≤ 4,000,000
Matching funds must be committed and documented at the time of application. Only eligible expenditures may be counted as match.
Application Process
The WVRPP uses a competitive, multi-step application process.
Applicants must:
- Review the RFP and confirm eligibility
- Prepare project documentation, including maps, engineering details, and match commitment letters
- Submit a complete application package to the WVOE
- Undergo technical and programmatic review
- Receive notification of award status
- Execute a grant agreement with the WVOE before beginning work
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be scored based on the following categories:
Resilience
- Reduce the number and duration of outages
- Improve service reliability to customers and critical facilities
Infrastructure Impact
- Address outdated or vulnerable infrastructure
- Improve circuits with high customer counts or critical facilities
Hazard Mitigation
- Increase resilience against floods, heat, winter storms, wind, landslides, and other hazards
Workforce
- Demonstrate readiness to complete the project
- Use appropriately credentialed workers
- Strengthen or expand the local energy workforce
Reporting & Compliance Requirements
Subgrantees must submit:
- Quarterly Performance Reports
- Annual Program Reports
- Final Closeout Report
- Compliance Reports (Davis-Bacon, BABA, NEPA)
- Reimbursement Requests with supporting documentation
Reimbursement Process
This is a reimbursement-based grant. Subgrantees must incur costs prior to requesting reimbursement and provide all required documentation following state and federal requirements.
Terms & Conditions
Awarded subgrantees must comply with:
- 2 CFR Part 200
- IIJA statutory provisions
- State Energy Office Terms & Conditions
- Executed Subrecipient Agreement (MOU)
Contact
Have questions? The WVOE Grid Resilience team can help applicants understand program details and application requirements. Email your questions to brooke.a.jones@wv.gov and include “40101(d)” in the subject line.