As of November 2023, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has announced nearly $400 billion in grants for over 40,000 specific projects and awards, spanning over 4,500 communities across all 50 states. ¹ As U.S. utilities seek to leverage this tsunami of federal funding to enhance their own initiatives and operations, Itron solutions are a key piece of the puzzle in turning their goals into realities.

In light of recent funding announcements, this blog will highlight the various grant programs that align with Itron solutions and technologies. If your utility is looking to optimize energy distribution, explore smart city technology, improve community safety or upgrade outdated infrastructure, the following list of IIJA funding opportunities is a good place to start.

Grid Resilience and Innovations (GRIP) Program

On Nov. 14, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.9 billion available through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, which enhances grid flexibility and resilience against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change. To learn more about GRIP funding and what it entails, read my previous blog, A Historic Investment in the American Power Grid, or watch the recording of the public webinar that was held on Nov. 20.

Key dates:

• Jan. 12, 2024: Concept papers due by 5 p.m. ET
• April 17, 2024: Grid resilience and smart application deadline
• May 22, 2024: Grid innovation application deadline

Itron Solutions: 

• Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) with distributed intelligence applications  
• Distributed automation with Edge Gateway
• Distributed Energy resource management system (DERMS)
  • Fleet planning
  • Electric vehicle charging
  • DER Optimizer
• Operations Optimizer

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants

An additional funding opportunity that directly aligns with Itron solutions is the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency grants. This includes 50/50 cost share funding to water providers and will fund projects related to water conservation, hydropower, supply reliability and more throughout the United States. ² For more information, watch the recording of the public webinar that was held on Dec. 12. Itron can help utilities and cities utilize this funding to address challenges related to water loss and scarcity by providing solutions designed to improve usage, efficiency and conservation outcomes. 

Key dates:

• Feb. 22, 2024: Round one application deadline
• Oct. 30, 2024: Round two application deadline

Itron solutions:

• AMI Essentials cellular
• End to End water

Climate Pollution Reduction Program (CPRG)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding a total of $4.3 billion to support and accelerate climate disruption mitigation efforts, infrastructure and initiatives. Grant recipients must apply the funding to climate action plans that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors including electricity generation, transportation, buildings, agriculture and more.

Key dates:

• Feb. 1, 2024: Optional notice of intent deadline
• April 1, 2024: Application deadline

Itron solutions:

• SLV
• Street lighting
• Industrial IoT
• Multi-application network canopy
• Fleet planning
• EV charging

Safe Streets and Roads for All  

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded a total of $813 million in funding to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The next funding opportunity will include Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program and Planning and Demonstration grants and will open in February. With Itron’s portfolio of smart city solutions, cities, municipalities and utilities can improve quality of life in their communities by addressing issues such as traffic and parking congestion, road safety, digital inclusion and more. 

Key dates:

• Feb. 2024: Applications Open

Itron solutions:

• SLV
• Street lighting
• Fleet planning
• EV charging

Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART)  

The SMART program funds projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety. The funding can be used to carry out a project related to connected vehicles, sensors, systems integration, smart grid, traffic signals and more. ³ The next round of SMART Grants Program funding will be announced in the second half 2024. Itron’s EV management solutions and smart streetlights are just two examples of how this funding can be put to use to create safer, better-connected communities. 

Key dates:

• This is expected to be released in the Sept. or Oct. 2024 timeframe.

Itron solutions:

• SLV
• Street lighting
• Fleet planning
• EV charging

U.S. utilities and cities are at a pivotal moment in time with more funding available than ever before. Our goal is to help our customers secure the type of funding that will address their current needs while enabling a variety of use-case integration over time. The alignment of Itron solutions with IIJA grant funding presents a significant opportunity to modernize the grid, create operational efficiencies, increase community safety and much more. We look forward to continued collaboration with our customers to make the most of these historic investments. To learn more, visit www.itron.com/iija.