NRECA Research, the research and development arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), recently applied for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). If approved, 69 electric cooperatives, including Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative (CCEC) will receive funding to complete high-priority grid modernization projects.

CCEC plans to use the funds to build a distribution automation (DA) solution to enhance visibility into our distribution system and automatically restore and respond to outages. The project will include upgrading our geographic information system (GIS) through GPS surveying, implementing a new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, upgrading protective components in distribution substations, and installing protective control components on the distribution lines.

“The co-op’s mission is to provide our members with reliable and affordable energy,” said CCEC CEO and General Manager Jake Joplin. “This funding will allow CCEC to accelerate the adoption of next-generation smart grid technologies, enabling the co-op to better monitor and coordinate our grid, and automate the outage restoration process. When complete, the project will enhance reliability and optimize grid efficiency.”

Working with NRECA Research enables smaller co-ops to work together to submit competitive applications for infrastructure funds. Other co-op projects included in the application cover a range of technologies, including unmanned aerial systems, second-generation advanced metering infrastructure, and distribution automation.