"FERC, 10 States Weigh Transmission Overhaul To Unlock Clean Power"

"States want a more prominent role in planning for new electric transmission lines, a process that for years has hobbled the nation’s capacity to move vast amounts of renewable power across the country.

In the inaugural meeting of a joint state and federal task force organized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, regulators from 10 states laid out the toughest issues tied to the development of high-voltage, long-distance power lines.

FERC is considering a slew of reforms meant to make it easier to develop power lines critical to the transition to 100 percent carbon-free power that many states and electric utilities say they hope to achieve. The task force, which is expected to meet multiple times a year for the next three years, will play an advisory role for FERC as the federal regulators work to craft detailed reforms.

FERC Chairman Richard Glick said he’s aiming to get a "significant amount of input" from state utility regulators to inform the rulemaking process. The federal government and states have distinct but also overlapping roles in the long path to building a long-distance electric power line."

Miranda Willson reports for E&E News November 11, 2021.

Source: E&E News, 11/11/2021