President Joe Biden will journey on Sunday to Florida areas ravaged by the back-to-back hurricanes, and announce federal funding for tasks to strengthen {the electrical} grid, in keeping with the White Home.
Biden can be touring St. Petersburg, one of many hardest hit Florida cities from Hurricane Milton final week, and reveal $612 million for six Division of Vitality tasks within the southeast.
A truck from the Florida Nationwide Guard goes out to assist residents trapped of their properties as waters rise after Hurricane Milton brought on the Anclote River to flood, Oct. 12, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla.
Mike Carlson/AP
Two of the tasks are targeted in Florida and supply a mixed $94M in federal funds, in keeping with the White Home.
Gainesville Regional Utilities will use the funding to assist mitigate the results of more and more excessive climate in north central Florida, “by means of storm hardening, in addition to sooner restoration by means of deployment of self-healing units and instruments that can allow extra environment friendly and exact dispatching of subject groups throughout outages,” the White Home mentioned in an announcement.
Switched Supply, a non-public utility know-how developer, will work with Florida Energy and Gentle to deploy Section-EQ, which “optimizes energy movement in distribution circuits, will unlock over 200 MW of system capability, and enhance reliability on circuits serving communities which might be most prone to extended outages,” in keeping with the White Home.
A drone view reveals destroyed seashore homes after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Manasota Key, Fla., Oct. 11, 2024.
Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters
“These investments are a part of the president’s dedication to creating long-term investments that shield, improve, and improve our nation’s electrical grid, particularly within the face of utmost climate occasions,” the White Home mentioned in an announcement.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Class 3 storm on Wednesday night. No less than 16 folks had been killed within the storm and over one million stay with out energy.
Biden has spoken to quite a few state and native officers, together with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who he mentioned was “very cooperative.” When requested if he would meet with DeSantis on Sunday, Biden mentioned sure as long as the governor was out there.
