BURGAW, N.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity has selected Four County Electric Membership Corporation (Four County EMC) to receive up to $23.2 million through its Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) initiative. The funding will help rebuild and modernize critical transmission infrastructure serving rural Columbus and Bladen counties.
Four County EMC is one of only four small utilities nationwide selected under SPARK's Topic Area 1: Grid Resilience. DOE announced 31 SPARK selections across 26 states, representing $1.9 billion in federal funding and $5.25 billion in total grid investment to improve reliability and lower electricity costs for approximately 100 million Americans.
"We are deeply grateful to the Department of Energy for this generational investment in the rural communities of Columbus and Bladen counties," said Don Gatton, CEO of Four County EMC. "Project LIFT will strengthen our grid against the hurricanes our members know too well and open the door to new jobs and growth, without placing the full cost on our members' bills."
Protecting affordability for members
Four County EMC's project, Line Infrastructure for Tomorrow (Project LIFT), represents a total investment of nearly $31 million. Once negotiations with DOE are finalized, federal funding would cover 75 percent of project costs, significantly reducing the share that would otherwise be paid by Four County EMC's members.
Building a more reliable grid for rural communities
Project LIFT will rebuild 33.8 miles of the Kelly to Powell transmission corridor. Aging wooden poles will be replaced with engineered steel poles rated for 130 mph winds. The upgraded line will also carry 67 to 93 percent more power than the current line.
Reliability is a priority for a region that knows severe weather firsthand. Hurricane Florence in 2018 caused $12.5 million in damage to Four County EMC's system and left members without power for up to 14 days.
Supporting rural economic growth
The project also includes new transformers at the Kelly and Powell substations to relieve a longstanding capacity constraint. Together, the line and substation upgrades will enable up to 104 megawatts of new industrial and commercial load, giving one of North Carolina's most economically vulnerable rural regions the infrastructure it needs to attract new investment and jobs.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by the end of 2030.