Grand Valley Power Awarded $1.9 Million Federal Grant to Mitigate Wildfire Risks on the Grand Mesa

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, Award Number DE-GD0000885.

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. — (October 2, 2024) — Grand Valley Power has received $1.9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to enhance wildfire protection and resilience in the communities it serves by making critical upgrades to its electric system.

Grand Valley Power is a member of a consortium of 38 electric co-ops and other rural utilities selected to receive federal funding through the Wildfire Assessment and Resilience for Networks project, or “WARN.” 

The cooperative will use the funding to underground 2.3 miles of existing power line serving the Mesa Lakes area.

The line is largely inaccessible except on foot or, in times of bad weather, on snowmobile. With the conversion to underground, residents can anticipate fewer power outages. Underground lines also offer significantly more protection from the threat of wildfire ignition by utility equipment. 

Led by Holy Cross Energy in coordination with NRECA Research, WARN will provide more than $145 million in wildfire mitigation funding to co-ops across 16 states in the central and western United States to drive energy resilience in high-risk rural areas. WARN funding comes from DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Grand Valley Power is working with the U.S. Forest Service on environmental permitting. Once approvals are in place, the cooperative will coordinate with contractors to clear trees and begin excavation. The work is expected to start in early 2027 and may continue into 2028.