New York opens $24 million for grid-enhancing technologies
NYSERDA has made $24 million available for grid-enhancing technologies, with up to $3 million per project, to modernize New York’s electric grid.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels
New York State has made $24 million available for grid-enhancing technologies, tools that raise the capacity and efficiency of existing power lines so more solar and wind can connect. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced the funding on June 25, 2026, offering up to $3 million per project across two funding tracks. The aim is to get more out of the grid already in the ground rather than build entirely new lines.
The money comes through NYSERDA’s Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) program and is backed by the New York Public Service Commission’s 2025 Innovation and Research Order, which funds statewide clean-energy innovation from 2026 to 2030. New York’s utilities serve more than 13 million households, businesses, and government facilities, and the state is working to connect more renewable power to that network.
What the grid-enhancing technologies funding covers
The solicitation sets clear terms for applicants. Projects fall into two categories, carry a cost-share requirement, and run for a fixed maximum term. The table below lists the confirmed parameters.
| Program parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total funding available | $24 million |
| Maximum award per project | up to $3 million |
| Minimum applicant cost share | 50% |
| Maximum project term | 36 months |
| Funding categories | Category A: product development; Category B: demonstration |
| Eligible topic areas | 14 |
Source: NYSERDA, “$24 Million Available for Innovative Technologies to Modernize New York’s Electric Grid” (June 25, 2026).
The 14 eligible topic areas include advanced conductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning analytics, advanced monitoring, power electronics, cybersecurity, and climate resilience. Category A supports product development, while Category B supports demonstration of technologies closer to deployment.
Why grid-enhancing technologies matter
Grid-enhancing technologies aim to squeeze more usable capacity from existing wires. That can ease the queue of renewable projects waiting to connect and delay the cost of building new lines. “Improving how electricity is managed, delivered, and utilized will be critical,” said Doreen M. Harris, NYSERDA President and CEO. New York Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said the funding “will stretch and optimize the efficiency of existing and new infrastructure.”
The push is part of a wider move to make renewable supply more usable and reliable, a challenge covered in Is Renewable Energy Really Unreliable Due to Intermittency?. Getting more from the existing grid also complements storage advances such as sand batteries, which help balance supply and demand over time.
A long-running program
The GETs program is not new. Since 2016, NYSERDA reports it has awarded about $128 million to more than 178 grid-technology companies and research organisations. The new $24 million round extends that record with a fresh set of topic areas and a demonstration track.
NYSERDA will accept submissions on a rolling basis. According to the solicitation, concept papers are due by September 7, 2029, and full proposals by November 19, 2029, or until all funds are committed, making this a multi-year window rather than a single deadline. The long runway lets technologies mature before they compete for demonstration funding. The funding fits the broader direction set out in The Future of Green Energy: Trends and Predictions.
About NYSERDA
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is a public benefit corporation established in 1975. Based in Albany, it funds research, demonstration, and deployment of clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies across New York, drawing on ratepayer and state funds. NYSERDA administers programs that support New York’s climate targets, including the goals set under the state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, such as a zero-emission electricity system and a large expansion of renewable power. The $24 million Grid-Enhancing Technologies round continues that work by targeting the tools that let the existing grid carry more clean power.
Sources: NYSERDA; LongIsland.com; Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Featured image: photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
