Sen. Heinrich introduces bill to reform interregional transmission planning
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced a bill recently that is designed to reform the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) interregional transmission planning process.
The Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act (S.1748) directs FERC to create an interregional transmission planning process and ensure that cost allocation methodologies consider economic, reliability, and operational benefits.
“If we want to confront the climate crisis and make our electric grid more resilient and reliable, we need to be thinking across regions,” Heinrich, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said. “This bill will direct FERC to formalize an interregional planning process. It will be key to modernizing our electric grid in a way that creates good-paying jobs and helps us transition to a clean energy future.”
Also, the legislation directs FERC to initiate the rulemaking within six months of enactment and complete a final rule within 18 months of enactment.
Specifically, it directs FERC to consider the following in its rulemaking: The effectiveness of the existing interregional planning process; Specific improvement to the process that would meet the stated goals of Order 1000; and Cost allocation methodologies that reflect the multiple benefits provided by interregional solutions.
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) supports the proposal.
“Expanding and modernizing our nation’s outdated electric grid is essential to reducing carbon emissions, but we aren’t yet building nearly enough of the large-scale transmission projects we know we’ll need as we enter a critical period for decarbonizing our economy and accelerating the transition to renewable energy,” Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of ACORE, said. “Sen. Heinrich’s policy proposal will help incentivize high-priority transmission expansion by addressing how we plan and allocate the cost of transmission lines. These reforms will help unlock tens of thousands of megawatts of wind and solar now stuck in interconnection queues and increase grid reliability by allowing the transfer of electricity both within and across regions.”
