Standards for Electric Grid Resilience May Boost Use of Composite Poles 

The Biden Administration will provide incentives for electric utilities to meet standards for electric grid reliability, according to comments provided by Department of Energy Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity Pat Hoffman during a February 22 ACMA webinar.  Hoffman invited the composites industry to bring forward information about technologies such as composite utility poles and crossarms that can inform the development of reliability standards. Representatives of the utility pole research program at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratories also spoke during the webinar, inviting the industry to contribute to research to improve sustainability, lower the cost, and improve the fire performance of composite poles. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Biden November 15, provides DOE with $5B for an electric grid reliability and resilience R&D program, and also allows DOE grants to utilities to improve utility pole management.  Please contact John Schweitzer at jschweitzer@acmanet.org for more information about DOE programs.