Kaptur Announces $381 Million in US Department of Energy Awards to Improve Ohio’s Electric Grid

September 24, 2026 Press Release Toledo, OH — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, announced that the United States Department of Energy is making several awards through its SPARK Program that will help modernize the electric grid for Ohio. Key among these awards is Federal funding of $136 Million for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) that is part of a $1.9 Billion project. The Federal funds will cover half of the costs for an upcoming Ohio SPARK program project that seeks to improve electric grid infrastructure in the State. This funding is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021. The release of these Federal funds follows an Op-Ed published last week in The Toledo Blade by Congresswoman Kaptur calling for the modernization of Northwest Ohio’s electrical grid . "I am excited to see the fruits of a once-in-a-generation Federal infrastructure investment take root in our Northwest Ohio communities,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water . “Modernizing our region’s electrical grid is imperative to lower energy costs for hardworking families, small businesses, and manufacturers alike, and this funding award is a step forward in meeting the ever-growing demand that our economy needs to flourish.” Signed into law in 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a five-year bipartisan infrastructure law that marks the largest Federal investment made in American infrastructure in the last century. Systems across transportation, energy, and water have all received increased resources to further bolster improvements and repairs to our Nation’s infrastructure. SPARK, or the “Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades,” is a United States Department of Energy program that supports States, Tribes, and electric utilities in their efforts to strengthen grid resilience and innovation. Ohio’s SPARK program specifically has several subprojects planned to improve electric grid infrastructure by implementing new technologies. Today’s announcement of a $136 Million award through this program will cover half of the $273 Million total cost of the planned Ohio SPARK projects, greatly lowering the costs that otherwise would have been passed on to ratepayers. As a senior member of House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Kaptur is committed to securing Federal investments for our Northwest Ohio communities. She was a strong supporter of the legislation that made this Public Utilities Commission of Ohio award possible, and is encouraged that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to result in valuable Federal investments in our region’s highways, bridges, energy systems, drinking water infrastructure, and more. Other SPARK awards announced today by the United States Department of Energy that are relevant for improved transmission and reliability in the overall Great Lakes Region and that will have indirect benefit for ratepayers in Northwest Ohio include: $174 Million in Federal funds for the State of Indiana’s Office of Energy Development in support of a total $349 Million project called, “Expanding Cross-Regional Transfer Capability Across the PJM–MISO Seam Through Accelerated Reconductoring and Advanced Transmission.” With these funds, four sets of advanced and transmission technologies will be deployed across neighboring Indiana’s grid improving capacity monitoring, line rating, and advanced power flow control on the grid operated by PJM Interconnection and the Midcontinent Independent System Operation (MISO). $50 Million in Federal funds for American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEPSC) to support a total $152 Million project called, “Next-Generation Optical Transport Network for Smart Grid Modernization.” AEPSC will uses these Federal funds to develop a unified, system-wide approach to expanding advanced communications across 527 AEP transmission network locations to improve the delivery of power, enhance operational visibility, and enable next-generation grid capabilities. The project includes the installation of 265 miles of underground fiber, and installation of new line rating technology deployment at 14 sites enhancing the ability to monitor and analyze electric capacity. While AEP Ohio primarily provides power in Central and Southern Ohio, the transmission network that will be improved with this Federal investment directly interfaces with the Regional PJM Interconnection grid servicing Northwest Ohio. $21 Million in Federal funds for Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI) to support a total $42 Million project called, “ATREES: Advanced Transmission Technologies for Reliable and Efficient Energy Supply.” This project proposes to deploy two advanced transmission technologies (ATTs)—advanced power flow controllers (APFCs) and dynamic line ratings (DLRs)—within the FirstEnergy (FE) and Salt River Project (SRP) transmission systems to maximize existing transmission capacity, accelerate load connections, and enhance reliability and energy deliverability. A full copy of Congresswoman Kaptur’s Op-Ed published last week in The Toledo Blade calling for the modernization of Northwest Ohio’s electrical grid can be found online by clicking here . # # # Issues : Trade Jobs and the Economy Health Care Energy