Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility, will receive a $160 million federal grant to help fund transmission upgrades the company says will allow its system to better withstand extreme weather and allow for smoother integration of renewables, like solar.

The grant money announced Friday comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program, which was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. Georgia Power’s slice is part of a larger, $10.5 billion pot of funding set aside by the law to help modernize the country’s electric infrastructure.

White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said in a statement last week that recent hurricanes have illuminated the urgent need for electricity infrastructure upgrades. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s pass through Georgia, more than 1.7 million electricity customers statewide, including those served by not-for-profit cooperatives, were left without power. “We need our grid better adapted to storms like hurricanes Helene and Milton and other extreme climate disasters like the wildfires out west,” Zaidi said. “We need our grid better wired to accelerate America’s manufacturing renaissance and leadership in artificial intelligence. We need our grid better able to bring online cheaper, cleaner power.” Atlanta Journal Constitution