The Defense Production Act Is Coming to Virginia's Power Lines. That Is Smart Grid Policy — If It Delivers
On Oct. 16, the Energy Department said it intends to put up to $50 million in Defense Production Act funds into smarter wires and real-time line ratings that could add about 290 megawatts on existing Virginia lines. In our view, it is fast, defense-minded grid spending — and DOE should publish the results.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 19, 2026 | 6-min read America does not always need a new power line to get more power. Sometimes it needs a smarter wire on the old towers, and a computer that knows how much the line can safely carry on a cold, windy night. On Oct. 16, the Energy Department said it intends to put up to $50 million of Defense Production Act money behind exactly that idea in Virginia and West Virginia [1]. In our view, it is the right kind of grid spending: fast, targeted and tied to national defense. Now prove it works, and copy it. Key Takeaways DOE announced its intent to deploy up to $50 million in Defense Production Act funding to Virginia Energy's Grid Enhancing Technologies for Virginia & West Virginia Large Load Growth project [1]. The project would use advanced reconductoring and Dynamic Line Rating on existing corridors, adding an estimated 290 megawatts of transmission capacity on Appalachian Power's Virginia system [1]. DOE says that capacity could arrive one to four years faster than conventional