National Regulatory Research Institute examines benefits of task force on electric transmission

In a new report, the National Regulatory Research Institute looks at the benefits that will likely result from state participation in the new Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission.

The report, called “A New State-Federal Cooperation Agenda for Regional and Interregional Transmission,” stated that issues such as resource choices, transmission siting, and cost allocation agreements are areas where states can leverage their leadership to avoid planning missteps. These are also areas where they can constructively engage the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as it implements transmission plans and makes final cost allocation decisions.

The report, authored by Commissioner John Gavan of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and Rob Gramlich, executive director for Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, said the Task Force is a “critical first step” to create policies consistent with the goals of achieving a resilient, low-carbon grid.

The authors note that in recent decades, states, utilities, corporations, and the federal government have set increasingly ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization goals. States have been leading the way in recent years with significant clean energy requirements and are uniquely positioned to help achieve these goals.

“This paper brings ideas from the state and federal perspective to help inform transmission policy, which is a central focus of policymakers today,” Carl Pechman, director of NRRI, said. NRRI serves as the research arm of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).