The funds - which defray half the cost of a $64 million project - will be used to build 6,400 miles of upgraded transmission lines and install smart meters for 44,000 customers. Digital infrastructure will be installed with the monies, too.
Bill Riley, SWTC manager of transmission, operations and maintenance, said to the San Pedro Valley News-Sun that the utility had been "investing in this technology and upgrading the grid from our own funds since 2005 and had planned to continue doing so through the year 2013." The stimulus grant will speed up the project considerably, Riley added.
The upgrades will allow customers to better manage their electrical bills and provide a more stable and reliable grid. Democratic U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords noted the importance of "a 21st century distribution system to bring the full benefits of … renewable energy sources" to Arizona residents.
Benson's green energy projects will join two others funded by federal stimulus money in Giffords' district.
