Transmission line development leads to $60 million in federal grants to Guymon

A map showing the twenty selected projects to receive Transmission Siting and Economic Development grants in areas across the United States.

 

Nearly $60 million in federal grants for interstate transmission line projects have been made to the city of Guymon and the Guymon public school district as the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Energy hands out more government funds.

The funds are part of the Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) Grant Program which is a $760 million investment through the Inflation Reduction Act. It is designed to advance critical transmission projects by accelerating siting and permitting while supporting economic development efforts in communities impacted by transmission construction and operation.

The two projects in the Panhandle City are among 20 projects in 16 states to receive up to $371 million to accelerate the permitting of high-voltage, interstate transmission projects and support community infrastructure projects along major new and upgraded transmission lines.

The Guymon Public Schools is receiving a $50 million grant as part of the community being the site of the Three Corners Connector (3CC) transmission line. The school district plans to build a new junior high school and workforce development center. The Energy Department said it would help sustain economic growth through job creation and opening upu new educational opportunities for students and local residents.

The new student facilities will incclude an outdoor environmental science classroom and a specialized STEM lab. The workforce development center wll provide trainings and classes for adults.

The City of Guymon is getting a $17,650 ,000 grant to address “water scarcity challenges” and bolster water infrastructure in the City. The project, as released by the Energy Department announcement, will include groundwater modeling, preliminary test well design, environmental and cultural assessments, well construction and system commissioning.

The TSED program includes two distinct grants: grants for siting and permitting activities and grants for economic development activities. The Energy Department’s Grid Deployment Office selected four siting and permitting projects for a combined federal investment of more than $17 million. GDO selected 16 economic development projects for a combined investment of more than $353 million.

Source: press release