Midwest, West Ready for Major Federal Grid Upgrades

The federal power market spanning the Midwest and West is poised to capitalize on an enormous infusion of funds from the federal bipartisan infrastructure law. In this episode of Grid Talk, we sit down with Tracey LeBeau who is the Administrator and CEO of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).  “There are a number of provisions that seek to provide additional opportunities or tools to help facilitate the development, the investment, and the construction of new or expanded transmission infrastructure,” said LeBeau.The additional spending will also further enhance investments to adapt the national grid for increased use of renewable energy.“Those tools, those programs, that funding is all getting flushed out as we speak, and programs are getting ready to be stood up,” said LeBeau.WAPA has 17,000 miles of transmission lines in its 15-state region and carries electricity generated by 57 federal hydroelectric generating facilities. LeBeau will talk about what impact drought and fire conditions are having on operations.“As a new administrator, folks often ask me what keeps me up at night and I often have responded with weather. Weather keeps me up at night.”Tracey LeBeau has more than 20 years of executive experience in management, clean energy and infrastructure development, public-private partnerships, utility business operations, and federal program leadership and policy. She joined WAPA in 2014 as the organization’s Transmission Infrastructure Program manager. Ms. LeBeau will be the first woman and the first Native American to lead the organization. Ms. LeBeau received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa.