On March 20, 2026, the Office of Electricity held a webinar on the new SPARK Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program funding. Below is a summary of the webinar, and the slides they used are here.

Executive Summary

The webinar outlines the SPARK (Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key advanced transmission technology upgrades) funding opportunity. Announced on March 12, SPARK is a $1.9 billion initiative building on the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program. The primary goal is to address the urgent need for grid capacity to meet soaring demand by prioritizing projects that can be deployed quickly and deliver measurable impacts on the nation's grid reliability and affordability.

Program Goals and Expected Outcomes

The DOE is tackling grid challenges through three phases: Stabilize, Optimize, and Grow. Projects selected under SPARK must be ready for fast-paced negotiations and a rapid deployment timeline of 48 months or less.

The DOE has set specific performance metrics for selected projects:

  • Capacity Increase: A 50% or greater increase in transfer capability for physical upgrades, or a 25% or greater increase for operational/digital upgrades.
  • Reliability: Measurable improvements in system reliability, reduced congestion, and avoided capital costs for resource adequacy.
  • Affordability: Verified cost savings, proven cost-effectiveness compared to building new transmission, and a financial payback period of 10 years or less.
  • Replicability: A documented approach for replication, permitting acceleration, and integration with regional planning processes.

Not of Interest: The DOE will not fund projects prioritizing connections to intermittent generation that contradict energy dominance goals, customer rebate programs, or technologies with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) below 6.

Topic Areas Overview

The SPARK program is divided into three topic areas. All projects require a minimum 50% cost share (with specific exceptions for small utilities in Topic Area 1).

Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience (40111C)

Focus: Supplementing existing hardening or reliability efforts through reconductoring or advanced transmission technologies. Cybersecurity projects are not eligible here.

Expected Awards: 5 to 10 awards.

Eligible Entities: Grid operators, storage operators, electricity generators, transmission owners/operators, and distribution providers.

Cost Share Note: Small utilities (selling no more than 4 million MWh/year) only require a 25% cost share, and 30% of total funding in this area is set aside for them.

Topic Area 2: Smart Grid (40107)

Focus: Improving existing transmission or sub-transmission through smart control, situational awareness, and advanced technologies to reduce congestion. Standalone reconductoring projects without smart grid integration will not be funded here.

Expected Awards: 25 to 40 awards.

Eligible Entities: Almost all entities, including for-profits, non-profits, state/local governments, tribes, and higher education institutions.

Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation Program (40103B)

Focus: Alleviating system constraints and enabling power delivery to new large loads or expanding capacity between planning regions through novel organizational or planning techniques.

Expected Awards: 3 to 8 awards.

Eligible Entities: States, combinations of states, Indian tribes, local governments, and public utility commissions.

Application Process and Deadlines

The application process consists of two aggressive, mandatory phases facilitated through the Infrastructure Exchange website.

  • Concept Papers (Due April 2): Applicants must submit a maximum 6-page concept paper (including a cover page, 4-page technical description, and a 1-page addendum). No template is provided. The DOE will review these and issue an "encourage" or "discourage" notification, though discouraged applicants may still choose to submit a full application.
  • Full Applications (Due May 20): Only entities that submitted a concept paper are eligible to submit a full application.

Submission Limitations: An entity (defined by a unique UEI number) may only submit one concept paper and one full application per topic area as a prime applicant. However, an entity can serve as a sub-recipient or partner on other applications.

Key Q&A Takeaways

  • Account Access: Applicants should establish multiple Points of Contact (POCs) in the Exchange portal to prevent lockout if a primary employee leaves.
  • Eligibility Testing: The DOE will not pre-screen project ideas for eligibility via email; the concept paper phase serves this purpose. National laboratories are strictly ineligible to apply as primes or sub-recipients.
  • Cost Share Sources: Non-federal loans and non-appropriated federal loans may be used for cost-sharing, but DOE loan guarantees are strictly prohibited.
  • Multiple Technologies: A future modification to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will clarify that a single project can include multiple technologies (e.g., reconductoring lines while concurrently deploying dynamic line rating).