FEMA approves millions to support disaster mitigation projects, grid upgrades in Hawaiʻi

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced more than $5.2 million in funding to the states of Hawaiʻi and Nevada and to the Territory of Guam for long-term projects that will make local communities more resilient to disasters. 

This funding is part of the more than $137 million that FEMA announced today for more than 50 projects nationwide.

Under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s leadership, FEMA is working diligently to address the backlog of funding requests. This comes 69 days into the current lapse in appropriations, the longest ever in US history.

Some FEMA projects recently approved across Hawaiʻi, Nevada, and Guam for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program include:  

• More than $3.8 million in Hawaiʻi to upgrade the Energy Management System (EMS) platform for the Maui and Hawaiʻi electrical grids. EMS platforms are the backbone of electrical grids, enabling real time monitoring and control to quickly identify and triage threats and impacts to the electrical grid from natural hazards and vice-versa, potential threats to the community and environment from faulty electrical grid resources.  
• $800,000 in Hawaiʻi to develop and implement an electric distribution grid model, also known as a Distribution Digital Twin (DDT), to improve grid resiliency by managing safety and reliability risks in the Hawaiian electrical grid. Enhanced visibility into the distribution grid will enable early detection of power quality issues and support proactive maintenance to prevent equipment failures, mitigate spark risk in wildfire prone areas and reduce the risk of power outages.
• Nearly $134,000 in Guam for electrical assessment and design work for the installation of a generator and air conditioner unit casings at the Adventist Medical Clinic. This Clinic provides additional post-disaster medical care on the Territory of Guam, relieving stress on the island’s hospitals after a disaster.
• In addition, more than $500,000 in Nevada was awarded for two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post Fire awards to cover direct and indirect costs for mitigation projects in the aftermath of wildfires.  

FEMA mitigation grant programs empower states, local governments, tribal nations, and territories to complete activities and projects that enhance their resilience.