President Joe Biden toured hurricane-hit areas in Florida and announced federal funding for resiliency projects.
Biden emphasized the need for a unified effort to help the state recover, regardless of political affiliations.
The big picture: The Department of Energy is allocating $612 million for six projects in the southeast, with two projects specifically focused in Florida to the tune of $94 million.
- The funding aims to strengthen the electrical grid, improve power system capabilities and reduce power outages during extreme weather events.
- Specific projects include storm hardening in north central Florida and the deployment of technologies to optimize power flow and improve reliability in circuits serving vulnerable communities.
- The investments are part of Biden’s commitment to upgrading the nation’s electric grid in response to extreme weather events like Hurricane Milton.
Driving the news: Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm, resulting in at least 16 deaths and over a million people without power.
