Midwest, West Ready for Major Federal Grid Upgrades

The federal power market spanning the Midwest and West is poised
to capitalize on an enormous infusion of funds from the federal
bipartisan infrastructure law. In this episode of Grid Talk, we
sit down with Tracey LeBeau who is the Administrator and CEO of
the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).  


“There are a number of provisions that seek to provide additional
opportunities or tools to help facilitate the development, the
investment, and the construction of new or expanded transmission
infrastructure,” said LeBeau.


The additional spending will also further enhance investments to
adapt the national grid for increased use of renewable energy.


“Those tools, those programs, that funding is all getting flushed
out as we speak, and programs are getting ready to be stood up,”
said LeBeau.


WAPA has 17,000 miles of transmission lines in its 15-state
region and carries electricity generated by 57 federal
hydroelectric generating facilities. LeBeau will talk about what
impact drought and fire conditions are having on operations.


“As a new administrator, folks often ask me what keeps me up at
night and I often have responded with weather. Weather keeps me
up at night.”


Tracey LeBeau has more than 20 years of executive experience in
management, clean energy and infrastructure development,
public-private partnerships, utility business operations, and
federal program leadership and policy. She joined WAPA in 2014 as
the organization’s Transmission Infrastructure Program manager.
Ms. LeBeau will be the first woman and the first Native American
to lead the organization. 


Ms. LeBeau received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University
and her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa.