HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – About $4.6 million in federal funding was approved Friday to help Hawaii become more resilient to natural disasters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $137 million as part of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Funding will be distributed to at least 50 projects nationwide, including Hawaii, Nevada, and Guam, to improve natural disaster response.
Hawaiian electrical grids
Federal funding aims to address the electrical grids on Hawaii Island and Maui. Tens of thousands experienced power outages across the state during the Kona low storms.
In response, FEMA approved more than $3.8 million to fund upgrades to the Energy Management System platform, which is the primary support for the two islands’ electrical grids.
The upgrades would enable real-time monitoring and control to triage threats and impacts to the electrical grid from natural hazards, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The upgrades would also help prevent potential threats to the community and the environment from faulty electrical grid resources.
An additional $800,000 was also approved to upgrade the Hawaiian electrical grid.
The funds would help the state develop and implement an electric distribution grid model called Distribution Digital Twin.
The model would improve the grid’s resiliency by managing safety and reliability risks, according to department officials.
The purpose of the Distribution Digital Twin would be to simplify the early detection of power quality issues and support proactive maintenance to prevent equipment failures.
It would also help mitigate spark risk in wildfire-prone areas and reduce the risk of power outages.
Guam and Nevada funding approved
Nearly $134,000 in federal funding was approved in Guam to install a generator and air conditioner at the Adventist Medical Clinic, which works to relieve stress on the island’s hospitals after a natural disaster.
Nevada was awarded more than $500,000 after earning two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire awards.
The funding will cover direct and indirect costs of mitigation projects following wildfires.
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