The town of East Lyme will seek a grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to help construct a microgrid.
A microgrid is an electrical grid that can be separated from the main grid and run independently during a natural disaster or storm.
East Lyme has signed on with the Michaud Law Group, a firm that specializes in renewable energy, to formally apply for the grant.
Attorney Paul Michaud says the microgrid can be used to power key buildings in the community during an emergency.
“You could have a high school be used as a center in case if there’s a storm. But you can also interconnect that into a gas station or a grocery store and keep those facilities energized so people can get groceries and can get gas when the rest of the grid is down.”
DEEP is offering the grant after a series of storm-related power outages. Applications are due by the end of the year, and recipients will be notified by March.
Learn more about microgrids from the U.S. Department of Energy.