The Department of Energy will allocate $48 million to fund a program aimed at improving power grid reliability and resilience in the United States.
The new ULTRAFAST program will be managed by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and is part of the Biden administration’s goal of reaching 100 percent clean electricity by the year 2035, DOE said Friday.
“A reliable and resilient grid is the key to protecting our power supply from outside threats and expanding America’s clean energy and transportation options,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm commented.
ULTRAFAST stands for Unlocking Lasting Transformative Resiliency Advances by Faster Actuation of power Semiconductor Technologies. Projects under the program will conceptualize devices such as semiconductor technologies that are capable of faster switching at higher current and voltage levels.
The teams will also develop products that can boost electromagnetic interference immunity, as well as technologies that can improve grid systems’ thermal management.
