The US Government is providing up to $50 million (£37.8m) to improve the resilience of the nation’s electric grid and oil and gas infrastructure.

The funding will support early stage research and development of next-generation tools and technologies.

The Department of Energy aims to address a variety of challenges and opportunities such as severe weather and cyber threat, a changing mix of power generation and the growth of Internet of Things.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said: “A resilient, reliable and secure power grid is essential to the nation’s security, economy and the vital services that Americans depend on every day.

“As round-the-clock efforts continue to help communities recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the need to continue strengthening and improving our electricity delivery system to withstand and recover from disruptions has become even more compelling.”