DOE cancellation of national transmission corridors undermines effort to build a stronger, more reliable grid
The Department of Energy announced yesterday that it would cancel plans to designate three proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs), a setback for efforts to expand the nation’s electric grid and meet rapidly growing demand for electricity.
“The United States needs more transmission, and we’re going to need all of the tools in the toolbox to build out the grid,” said Nicole Pavia, Director of Clean Energy Infrastructure Deployment at Clean Air Task Force. “The administration has repeatedly said that it wants to build a stronger, more reliable, and more affordable grid for Americans, but its actions do not align with that rhetoric. Cancelling designated corridors and rescinding associated federal funds specifically intended to address transmission bottlenecks is at odds with that goal. CATF and our partners have identified data-driven, durable solutions to the problems for federal transmission permitting that the Department of Energy should pursue instead of taking this misguided action. If the goal is affordable, reliable, and secure electricity, we should be making it easier to build the infrastructure the grid needs — not dismantling federal frameworks designed to facilitate it.”
Congress established the NIETC program in 2005 and amended it in the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to specifically address transmission constraints by designating geographic areas where new transmission infrastructure is important to the national interest. The three now-canceled corridors – the Lake Erie-Canada Corridor, Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor and Tribal Energy Access Corridor – were originally selected by the Department of Energy to help address areas with significant transmission congestion. Transmission congestion increases costs and reduces reliability for ratepayers.
As CATF has previously explained, corridor designation can unlock federal financing and siting authorities for transmission projects within designated areas, but it is not a comprehensive solution to the need for more interregional transmission in the United States. Building a stronger, more interconnected grid will ultimately require sustained federal leadership with state coordination and a permitting process that provides certainty for communities, developers, and utilities. Legislation providing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with broader siting and permitting authority over interstate projects, directing FERC to conduct rulemakings requiring regions to work together on transmission planning and cost allocation, and investing in federal siting and permitting expertise can boost transmission deployment and benefit ratepayers, the American economy, and the environment.
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About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 30 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
