On September 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced the 31 transmission projects it plans to fund through the Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and Other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (“SPARK”) program. The projects will receive $5.25 billion in total, consisting of $1.9 billion in federal funding and $3.35 billion through recipient cost-share funding.
DOE’s Office of Electricity administers the SPARK program as part of its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (“GRIP”) program, which Congress funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The SPARK and GRIP programs prioritize upgrading existing transmission infrastructure through upgrades such as reconductoring, advanced monitoring, and other grid modernization technologies, rather than building new transmission lines. According to DOE, the selected projects will add more than 23 gigawatts of transmission capacity by rebuilding or reconductoring over 1,500 miles of existing transmission lines and by deploying Grid-Enhancing Technologies across nearly 21,000 miles of existing transmission.
Funding recipients span 26 states and include small utilities and co-ops, like Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and Four County Electric Membership Corporation; large utilities, like Duke Energy Carolinas, PPL Electric Utilities, and Tennessee Valey Authority; and state-level or multi-state initiatives, such as those led by Ohio, Indiana, and Colorado. DOE emphasized that these project selections remain subject to change pending negotiation of formal financial assistance agreement.
More information on the SPARK program is available here. A full list of selected applicants and project summaries is available here.