HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday, a $5.25 billion nationwide investment in grid-improvement projects — and CenterPoint Energy has received $50 million of that funding for a first-of-its-kind Houston grid project.
DOE officials joined CenterPoint Energy leadership Thursday morning at CenterPoint’s Houston headquarters, to announce the investment, which both organizations describe as a major step toward building a stronger, more resilient energy future for the Greater Houston region — confirming Houston is among the 31 grid-improvement projects selected as part of DOE’s SPARK initiative.
What DOE announced
The SPARK — Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades — initiative is funded through DOE’s Office of Electricity and its Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program. The total investment includes $1.9 billion in federal funding and $3.35 billion in recipient cost-share funding across 26 states.
Nationwide, the projects are expected to reconductor or rebuild more than 1,500 miles of transmission lines and deploy Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) across nearly 21,000 miles of existing infrastructure — making more than 23 gigawatts of additional electricity capacity available.
“Today’s announcement reinforces the Trump Administration’s commitment to commonsense energy addition policies that lower electricity prices and strengthen our grid,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “These investments will get more out of the infrastructure we already have, move more electricity across the grid, and help deliver affordable, reliable, and secure power that will fuel American prosperity for decades to come.”
“These selected SPARK projects put advanced transmission technologies to work, modernizing critical infrastructure, maximizing the capacity of existing lines, and unlocking more than 20 gigawatts of additional grid capacity,” said OE Assistant Secretary Catherine Jereza. “DOE is moving with urgency to strengthen our grid, lower costs, and ensure America has the energy infrastructure needed to power the next generation of economic growth.”
How the money works
Rather than building entirely new transmission lines from scratch, SPARK focuses on reconductoring — replacing existing power lines with higher-capacity conductors — paired with other Advanced Transmission Technologies (ATTs). By using existing rights-of-way, projects eliminate congestion bottlenecks and avoid expensive greenfield construction, which DOE says will help lower consumer electricity bills.
The initiative also aims to mitigate wildfire hazards, prevent blackouts, and protect against severe weather events — and bypasses the multi-decade timelines typically required to build entirely new transmission corridors.
The program aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Unleashing American Energy,” which directs the expansion of grid capacity. Officials claim increased operational efficiency and lower energy prices for American families and businesses.
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