FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2023
Liberty selected to receive up to $47.5 million in federal funding
The U.S. Department of Energy award will be used to strengthen and modernize the power grid against extreme weather and improve reliability
JOPLIN, MISSOURI – The U.S. Department of Energy has selected The Empire District Electric Company d/b/a Liberty to receive up to $47.5 million in federal funding. The funding is part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, which seeks to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather. The funds will support part of the cost to implement smart grid technology and enhanced systems across Liberty’s service areas in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This includes automated devices that can restore power more efficiently, resulting in shorter service interruptions and lower operating costs. It also includes technology that will enhance Liberty’s ability to deliver affordable, clean energy to the grid while improving service and reliability.
“The funds will help support system improvements that help modernize our distribution infrastructure and create local, good-paying jobs,” said Tim Wilson, President, Central Region-Electric. “These projects will bring great value to our customers through improved reliability, faster restoration times when outages do occur, and lower operating costs. With this award, we have the potential to complete these projects with significant savings to our customers. We look forward to working with the Department of Energy and our state regulatory commissions as we complete the next steps in this process.”
The projects supported by the funding are expected to bring improvements to over 30 communities, many of them in more rural areas, and will create additional jobs in construction and warehousing and support industries such as transportation, hospitality, and others.
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by the Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, the GRIP program leverages federal and private investments to provide communities across the nation with a reliable grid prepared for extreme weather while also delivering affordable, clean energy and creating robust local opportunities for economic investment and jobs. The funding is subject to final agreement between Liberty and the U.S. Department of Energy. Liberty’s portion of the project funding will be subject to review and approval by state regulatory commissions.
For more information about the award, visit www.libertyenergyandwater.com and the Grid Deployment Office’s website.
About Liberty
A subsidiary of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., Liberty is committed to providing safe and reliable natural gas, water, and electricity distribution services to over one million customer connections. Liberty’s utility operations are primarily located in the United States and Canada, as well as operating in Chile and Bermuda. With a customer-centric approach to management, Liberty provides a superior customer experience through local management of walk-in centers, conservation and energy efficiency initiatives, and programs for businesses and residential customers. We measure our performance in terms of service reliability, customer satisfaction, and an unwavering dedication to public and workplace safety. Liberty’s North American distribution operations include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States, and New Brunswick Canada. For more information, please visit www.libertyenergyandwater.com.
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