The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced it has applied with the U.S. Department of Energy for up to $119 million in stimulus funding to add a high-tech computer system and digital technology to update the existing power grid, making it cheaper, more reliable and energy-efficient.

“It’s time for New York to become the global leader in the clean energy economy, and the development and deployment of smart grid technology is a critical component of my New Economy Jobs plan for New York,” said Governor Paterson.

The “Smart Grid” will include Dynamic Reactive Support System Project, a $49.6 million voltage management system to reduce blackouts and lessen oil dependence, and a $69.5 million Smart Grid Communications Backbone, a fiber optic and radio communications network that will connect all LIPA substations.

LIPA will file a third application later this month for the development of the Smart Grid Corridor Project, a partnership comprised of LIPA, Stony Brook University and Farmingdale State College, located along Route 110, meant to assist residential, commercial and industrial customers in reducing energy usage through smarter technologies, as well as creating clean energy jobs. It would also create New York State’s first Smart Campus that would directly tie smart grid systems with energy conservation and renewable technologies.