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In this Newsletter:
- Mom, Apple Pie and Beneficial Electrification - A Message from the President
- USDA Signs First New ERA Agreements in Milestone Moment for the Program
- New Round of DOE $1.9B Funding Opens, Similar to Former "GRIP" Program
- Make Use of BEL's Professional Grant Compliance & Administration Support
- How Does Beneficial Electrification Fit with Affordability?
- BEL Welcomes New Staff Member Emily Kaplan
| | A Message from the BEL President | |
Electricity is like mom and apple pie - one of those universally lovable things that improves life on Earth. At a moment when there is plenty to disagree on, we have found that in every corner of the country, people support electrification that saves families money, supports a robust and clean electric grid, and improves product quality. These traits are the pillars of beneficial electrification, a concept based on an affirmative support of actions that are broadly accepted.
As the pendulum of politics swings back and forth, beneficial electrification has proven to be a durable framework for engaging a large stakeholder community--from businesses to utilities to state and Federal programs to environmental groups. As we build new sources of affordable energy, the opportunities to use electricity to power our lives in ways that are beneficial to our economy will flourish.
BEL has focused the last few years on helping to invest in the infrastructure to support a more electrified future. We have been shepherding huge projects like the $10B+ PACE and New ERA programs and have been assisting dozens of additional infrastructure grants through 1:1 support at the community-level, such as those listed on our impact page: Beneficial Electrification Impact - American Electric Infrastructure. As we move through 2026, we plan to continue our focus on the value of beneficial electrification as a unifying framework for decision-making in this pivotal time for the industry. We hope that you can join us in engaging stakeholders in this framework as you continue your important work in the energy sector.
-Keith Dennis, BEL President
| USDA Signs First New ERA Agreements in a Milestone Moment for the Program | |
After several years of work on a massive $9.7 billion investment in electric cooperative infrastructure, USDA's Rural Utility Services has signed its first agreements with two electric cooperative partners. This moment is a milestone for the New ERA Program, which will result in approximately $40 billion in clean energy investment. BEL has supported the New ERA cohort since the program's inception in 2023 through program design, application, awards, and permitting. The last key milestone will be to see reimbursement to partners which we expect will occur later this year.
In discussions with BEL stakeholders in our cohort meetings, USDA and other legal experts close to the program have described how significant these initial agreements are to the program meeting its goals, noting that the legal language required for these first agreements will be the same language used in future agreements. Thus, some of the heavy lifting of agency approval has concluded, paving the wave for additional agreements to be finalized in the near future. This massive investment in rural infrastructure will have significant impacts to rural communities across the country, keeping electricity costs down while delivering clean, reliable power.
While these programs are incredibly significant, you may not read about them in the press often due to their large, slow nature of development. In many cases, the cooperative community remains "proud but not loud" about their achievements as they implement these projects that will power the future.
| DOE Opens a $1.9B Program Called "SPARK" -Similar to Previous GRIP Program | |
On March 12th, the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity launched a $1.9 billion funding opportunity to accelerate upgrades to the electric grid under a new initiative known as Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK). This is the release that had been anticipated by BEL stakeholders as essentially "GRIP 3", another round of the grid resilience program but this time with a more specific focus on reconductoring and advanced transmission technologies. To be considered, concept papers are due by April 12th. Monitor the DOE links listed above for a DOE webinar that is anticipated to occur on as early as March 19th.
Highlights of the funding opportunity are as follows:
Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience (IIJA Section 40101[c])
- Approximate total available funding: $427 million in FY2026
- Approximate number of awards: 5–10
- Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $10M–$100M
- As required by law, 30% of the total funding available for Topic Area 1 must be set aside for small utilities (entities that sell no more than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity per year.)
Topic Area 2: Smart Grid (IIJA Section 40107)
- Approximate total available funding: $614 million in FY2026
- Approximate number of awards: 25–40
- Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $10M–$50M
Topic Area 3: Grid Innovation Program (IIJA Section 40103[b])
- Approximate total available funding: $862 million in FY2026
- Approximate number of awards: 3–8
- Approximate dollar amount of individual awards (DOE Share): $100M–$250M
| | How Does Beneficial Electrification Fit with Affordability? It's in the Definition of BE! | |
Ahead of this year’s midterm elections, “energy affordability” is a buzz term that has moved from niche policy discussions to become a top tier quality-of-life issue for voters. Across the country, debates rage on how best to power the proliferation of data centers and tackle rising residential electric bills. As both parties pounce on the messaging opportunity energy affordability provides, stakeholders of Beneficial Electrification should remain vigilant to negative politicization.
Energy affordability is a foundational principle of beneficial electrification. If the act of electrification does not save a consumer money over time, or if it will decrease a consumer’s quality of life, then it’s not beneficial electrification. That’s why Beneficial Electrification has enjoyed broad appeal across the political spectrum. Consider using this moment to remind colleagues and contacts that BE and Energy Affordability go hand in hand no matter what side of the aisle you sit on.
As the world spins, we remain grounded in our roots that define Beneficial Electrification and BEL as an organization. Beneficial Electrification is defined as the application of electricity to end-uses when doing so satisfies at least one of the following conditions, without adversely affecting the others:
- Saves consumers money over time
- Benefits the environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions
- Improves product quality or consumer quality of life
- Fosters a more robust and resilient grid
| | Make Use of BEL's Professional Grant Support | | |
Winning a grant sometimes feels like being the dog that caught the car. You achieved your goal of catching the grant, but NOW WHAT?
With the significant opportunity for funding comes compliance and reporting obligations that take expertise to navigate. Rather than teaching yourselves, we recommend reaching out to experts so that you do not need to recreate the wheel. At BEL, we now are supporting over $50 million of grid resilience grants for approximately 40 cooperatives and municipal utilities - from grant writing to grant administration and compliance support.
Let’s work together to make sure your best day is not the day you won the grant, but the day your project was successfully completed (without driving you completely mad). The last thing we want is to see any project left behind due to a lack of resources. Please reach out to info@be-league.org if you would like to learn more or to schedule a 1:1.
| | BEL Welcomes New Staff Member Emily Kaplan | | |
BEL is pleased to welcome new staff member Emily Kaplan to our team. As BEL’s Grants Administration Specialist, she will help communities manage current grants and/or apply for new grant funding for projects that support beneficial electrification. Emily comes to BEL from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where she supported a grant program that helps expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the country.
| | Support Beneficial Electrification Progress in 2026 | | |
Communities, utilities, states, and businesses are the driving force behind beneficial electrification progress in the United States. Together, we have made remarkable strides over the past decade, and with your support, we can maintain this momentum.
BEL is funded by its members, sponsors, and philanthropy organizations. We need your help to expand our efforts to advance markets, improve access to electrification technologies, and support solutions that simultaneously grow local economies, improve grid reliability, and reduce emissions. Consider joining BEL’s member-sponsor network or support BEL’s 2026 strategic initiatives as a donor.
Join BEL’s Member-Sponsor Network | Support BEL’s Strategic Initiatives as a Donor
| | About the Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) | |
The Beneficial Electrification League (BEL) is leading nonpartisan coalition of diverse organizations committed to making beneficial electrification as a core strategy for addressing today’s energy, environmental, and economic challenges.
BEL’s newsletter provides periodic updates about the programs and accomplishments of BEL and its member organizations.
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