{"id":730,"date":"2026-05-18T18:36:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T18:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=730"},"modified":"2026-05-18T18:36:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T18:36:41","slug":"ncdeq-breaks-ground-on-6-3m-electric-grid-resilience-project-in-cumberland-sampson-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=730","title":{"rendered":"NCDEQ breaks ground on $6.3M electric grid resilience project in Cumberland, Sampson counties"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MAGNOLIA, N.C. (WNCN) \u2014 Work has begun on a $6.3 million project intended to strengthen the resilience of electrical grids in eastern Cumberland and Sampson counties, state officials said.<\/p>\n

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The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office and Four County Electric Membership Corporation broke ground on the project in Magnolia on May 15, which state officials said will benefit the cooperative\u2019s members in eastern North Carolina by strengthening reliability, improving storm resilience, and protecting long-term affordability.<\/p>\n

Known as Project Strengthening Transmission Efficiency and Enhancing Lifespan (STEEL), according to NCDEQ, the project will replace the electrical lines with wooden poles that were constructed in 1968. The new, stronger engineered steel structures are designed to better withstand severe weather.<\/p>\n

According to NCDEQ, the project will also provide larger conductors, a stronger system design, and strengthened infrastructure with a lifespan expected to exceed 75 years and support future energy demands.<\/p>\n

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State officials said the project will result in fewer and shorter power outages, better performance from the system during severe weather, less long-term maintenance expenses, and more infrastructure durability.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs eastern NC faces more frequent and extreme weather, future-proofing the electric grid is critical,\u201d State Energy Office Director Julie Woosley said in a statement. \u201cSince 2025, DEQ has leveraged nearly $30 million in federal, state and local funds to make grid resilience investments, including the project we broke ground on today.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese investments will harden the system, enhance reliability, and ensure North Carolinians experience fewer and shorter power outages,\u201d she continued in her statement.<\/p>\n

Cumberland and Sampson counties are among the members of Four County EMS. Also served are Bladen, Columbus, Duplin, Onslow, and Pender counties, according to NCDEQ.<\/p>\n

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\t\tCUMBERLAND COUNTY NEWS<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n

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\t\t\tGround broken on Cumberland-Sampson Co. grid project<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n


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NCDEQ said it awarded $2.9 million to Four County EMC to help fund the project through the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Resilience of the Electric Grid Formula Grants for States and Tribes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Four County EMC, our responsibility is to serve our members well \u2014 not just today, but for future generations,\u201d Four County EMC CEO Don Gatton said in a statement. \u201cThis investment reflects our commitment to being wise stewards of our members\u2019 resources by strengthening the electric system families, farms, and businesses depend on every day, while also leveraging critical grant funding to reduce costs for the people we serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is not simply about replacing infrastructure\u2014it is about preparing the electric grid for the future while preserving the cooperative\u2019s mission and State\u2019s goal of providing affordable, reliable service,\u201d he said in his statement.<\/p>\n

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Work has begun on a $6.3 million project intended to strengthen the resilience of electrical grids in eastern Cumberland and Sampson counties, state officials said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNCDEQ breaks ground on $6.3M electric grid resilience project in Cumberland, Sampson counties - Raleigh Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=730\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NCDEQ breaks ground on $6.3M electric grid resilience project in Cumberland, Sampson counties - 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