New York Construction Report staff writer
A $405 million federal grant will be used to upgrade the electrical transmission and distribution system across Long Island and the Rockaways.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMPG), funding will pay for crucial improvements and replacements to the Long Island Power Authority’s (LIPA) electrical infrastructure. The goal is to better withstand the impacts of future extreme weather events.
FEMA’s hazard mitigation assistance aims to reduce long-term risks to people and property from future disasters. By investing in proactive mitigation, the program helps break the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction, implementing solutions that protect against future events.
LIPA plans to fortify 166 overhead circuits spanning approximately 1,376 miles of its power distribution network, in response to the damage from Tropical Storm Isaias, which affected 650,000 customers in August 2020. Also, work will include hardening of another 166 overhead three-phase primary circuits.
Following Hurricane Sandy, LIPA completed storm hardening on 339 circuits with FEMA funding. With this new grant, LIPA will have strengthened more than 50 percent of its overhead system since 2020.
