On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will contribute $8.5 million to the completion of four utility grid infrastructure projects in three different states. The funding is coming specifically from the DOE’s Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) program. Combined with private funds, the total $20 million in funding will aid utility companies incorporating solar energy into utility grids.

Two of the funded projects are in New Jersey, a state that has the second most installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the country (California is number one). The newly announced funding will help PSE&G, a New Jersey Utility, complete its plan to install solar panels atop 200,000 utility poles across the state.

Another project is in Florida, where the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida and SunEdison, a solar power project developer, will use the funding to install inverters and smart-grid power controls for commercial and residential PV systems within the state.

Finally, in Oregon, the DOE will fund the installation of smart grid communication technology so that utility grids can work with solar energy sources to provide Portland General Electric (PGE) customers with more renewable energy.

To read more about how grid upgrades and smart grid technologies relate to solar energy, see our blog archives.