Vice president announces $4B in smart energy grid grants

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1146399.html

Vice president announces $4B in smart energy grid grants
The Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY | Vice President Joe Biden used a visit to a mid-Missouri
transformer factory Thursday to highlight how the federal economic stimulus
package is propelling a new wind-energy project and spinning off jobs.

Speaking from the factory floor of ABB Inc., Biden announced that the
Department of Energy will award about $4 billion in grants under the
stimulus package to improve the nation's electric grid.

The ABB factory, located on the north side of the Missouri River just across
from the state Capitol, has laid off almost one-third of its work force in
the past year, leaving it with 650 employees.

The plant shut down Thursday while Biden and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
took a walking tour of the sprawling factory floor before addressing a group
of about 400 employees and invited guests.

Biden touted an order for 100 ABB-built electrical transformers to be used
at a $300 million wind power plant in northwest Missouri. Wind Capital
Group, which plans to break ground in August on the DeKalb County project,
says it will be the largest wind farm in Missouri with a capacity to provide
power to about 50,000 homes.

The president of Wind Capital is Tom Carnahan, the brother of Rep. Russ
Carnahan, D-Mo., and Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, who is
running for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Wind Capital spokesman Tony Wyche said development of the wind farm is
moving forward partly because the economic stimulus act extended a tax
credit that can be used by investors in wind energy.

Biden said the Missouri wind-energy site will be designed with smart
electric grid components. Among other things, smart electric grids enable
consumers to better adjust their electricity use and to sell electricity
back to the utility from solar panels or other home energy generators.

Under the stimulus act, Biden said the Department of Energy will award
nearly $3.4 billion in grants to install smart electricity grid technology
and $615 million for smart grid demonstration projects. Locke said the White
House will host a forum in early May to work on the creation of industry
standards for developing the smart electric grid.

Biden linked energy issues with nation's military presence in the Middle
East.

"The smart electrical grid is necessary to ending America's reliance on
foreign oil," Biden said.

"How many of you think we would have so many troops stationed in that area
of the world if we didn't need the oil?" Biden said. "If you add the actual
price of oil, it's probably $10 more a barrel just by the military we have
to provide to be able to ensure those oil lanes stay open."

Earlier at Whiteman Air Force Base, Biden told a crowd of about 1,100 troops
from all four branches of the military that President Barack Obama's
administration is committing $25 billion in additional spending for
veterans.

"All of you will one day be veterans," Biden said. "They've been forgotten a
lot in the last eight years, the last 15 years."

Biden presented a Bronze Star to technical Sgt. Dave H. Townsend Jr. for
heroics in Iraq.

He praised the current generation of troops as "the most powerful, most
disciplined, best trained warriors America has ever produced" and pledged
that the Obama administration would take care of the some 35,000 U.S. troops
who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Biden also acknowledged the sacrifices of families of soldiers, especially
those killed in action.

"I say this from the bottom of my heart, I admire you. The president admires
you," Biden said. "And now we're putting our money where our mouth is."




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