New DOE Award to Improve Grid and Positively Impact Families in the 4Th District

October 5, 2026 Press Release Lone Tree, CO — Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-04) continues to work with the U.S. Department of Energy to improve the grid in Colorado, including a new $250 million award from the Department’s Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program. "This Department of Energy announcement is about keeping the lights on and the bill down for families in the 4th District,” Rep. Boebert said. “The line starts in Lamar. That is our district. Families in Prowers, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Lincoln, and the rest of the Eastern Plains need power they can count on.” “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 Office of Electricity Assistant Secretary Catherine Jereza . "We need to do everything we can to improve reliability, affordability, and cost for households, farms, and small towns,” Rep. Boebert said. “We need to do as much as possible to improve energy in Colorado and reduce costs for families. More transfer capacity can help families avoid outages and bring in power when we need it. The 4th District will take transmission that serves agriculture, oil and gas, and rural families.” The award will upgrade the Lamar Tie. The project moves the Colorado end of the connection from Lamar to the May Valley substation and ties it into the Power Pathway network on the Eastern Plains. It raises transfer capacity from 210 megawatts to 700 megawatts, with room to reach 2,000 megawatts. U.S. Department of Energy announcement: https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-speed-power-investments-across-26-states-lower-electricity Issues : Energy and Natural Resources