The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering is partnering on a grant of up to $50 million to bring smart grid technology to rural and underserved communities throughout Wisconsin.
In early October 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program awarded the grant to Alliant Energy, an electricity and gas utility serving communities in Wisconsin and Iowa.
The project, called Smart Power Automation in Rural Communities (SPARC), will add grid visibility and control devices to 140 grid circuits in 27 disadvantaged communities and two tribal communities in Wisconsin. These smart upgrades will allow the utility to quickly locate and isolate potential electrical faults, reducing power outages by up to 50%. An improved distribution management system will also enable the integration of more renewable and distributed energy sources. Communication technologies associated with the smart grid upgrades could also extend wireless access to many of these remote and underserved areas.
The UW-Madison College of Engineering will participate in the project through its Clean Energy Community Initiative. The initiative will facilitate community engagement throughout the duration of the project. To help cultivate equitable outcomes in the communities where project investments take place, the program will conduct at least 20 community and stakeholder engagement sessions. The initiative also will provide training and curriculum designed to upskill or reskill and prepare local workers for smart grid jobs.
Line Roald, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UW-Madison, is an expert in grid resilience. She will lead technical research efforts for the project.
The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program is a $10.5 billion investment authorized by the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to enhance grid flexibility, improve the resilience of the power system against extreme weather, and ensure American communities have access to affordable, reliable electricity when and where they need it. Its funding is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy Grid Deployment Office.