In a struggling economy, receiving a grant award for a project – no matter how large or small in dollar amount – signifies not only a start of a new chapter for a company, but also a respected business venture that other organizations are willing to stand by.

 

So, when SPX Corp.’s business unit – Waukesha Electric Systems, Inc. – was awarded $10.7 in grants by the U.S. Department of Energy, or “DOE,” the company’s project  of developing and manufacturing an efficient superconducting transformer for electric utilities seemed to be well on their way.

 

SPX Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Kearney said that enhancing the efficiency, capacity and reliability of America's energy infrastructure is absolutely critical to the country's economic future and well being.

 

With additionally funding bringing the total investment contributions to $21.5 million, the project aims to help enhance the reliability of the nation’s power grid. Waukesha will attempt to design the transformer in a lighter weight, power reduction platform.

 

“As the lead company on this project, we look forward to leveraging our deep expertise in developing innovative power transformers to help advance the U.S. power grid for the benefit of future generations,” Kearney said.

 

The $10.7 million grant is part of a $620 million funding sum that the DOE is delegating to companies around the country that are pushing towards advancements in the smart grid.

 

“These demonstration projects will further our knowledge and understanding of what works best and delivers the best results for the Smart Grid, setting the course for a modern grid that is critical to achieving our energy goals,” DOE Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

 

Waukesha will have assistance from other companies also involved on the project, with hopes to build the transformer by year-end 2012.

 

Lee Powell, President, SPX Industrial Products and Services, said that Waukesha has been involved in the development of High Temperature Superconducting transformer technology for over a decade under the auspices of various DOE programs.

 

“This new 5-year grant program will enable us to take the developing concepts of HTS to another level by integrating fault current limiting characteristics,” Powell added.