The U.S. Department of Energy announced $2 billion in funding to help protect the power grid from the threat of extreme weather.
A portion will help Arizona protect the grid from wildfire.
Arizona Public Service will use the money to make upgrades to system devices, utility poles and monitoring systems. APS will also implement microgrids, which can operate independently from the main grid.
In a statement, the Energy Department said about 70% of the APS project will go to improving power reliability in rural, tribal and disadvantaged communities. The utility estimates the upgrades will save more than $100 million in emergency repair costs and prevent about a million customer interruptions.
Arizona is one of about 40 states that will get funding, including for projects to address damages from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
