Guam Power Authority officials met with a congressional staff delegation on Oct. 13 to discuss a proposed $1.5 billion power infrastructure modernization plan aimed at strengthening grid resilience and supporting national defense operations in the Indo-Pacific.
According to a GPA news release, the proposal calls for a 10-year programmatic agreement that would rely on federal partnerships to “achieve system-wide resilience.”
“During the briefing, GPA emphasized the direct connection between civilian power grid reliability and national defense readiness in the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting that the Island-Wide Power System (IWPS) allows the Department of War (DOW) facilities and assets to perform mission-critical functions,” GPA said.
GPA officials outlined $1.5 billion in proposed investments they said are critical to strengthening the island's power grid.
The plan includes an estimated $338 million for grid hardening and undergrounding projects, including underground transmission lines in central and northern Guam and a connection to the Naval Regional Medical Center, according to GPA.
Another $701 million would fund critical resilience projects, including hardening facilities and placing power systems serving Guam Waterworks Authority water wells underground.
The proposal also includes $455 million for capacity and system reliability improvements.
GPA General Manager John Benavente described the discussions as productive and said they could help secure funding needed to strengthen the power grid as defense missions expand.
“Also, hardening our power infrastructure is essential to ensuring mission readiness and protecting Guam against natural disasters, cyber threats, and growing energy demands,” Benavente said.
Guam Delegate James Moylan, who attended the meeting, also emphasized the importance of modernizing the island's power infrastructure.
“Modernizing and hardening Guam’s power grid is crucial for both our island community and our national defense readiness in the Indo-Pacific,” Moylan said.
Moylan said the congressional staff members would report back to their respective members of Congress to help ensure Guam's infrastructure priorities are understood and supported in Washington.