I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2678 
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to initiate a rule-
making to reform the interregional transmission planning process, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2021 
Mr. CASTEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to 
initiate a rulemaking to reform the interregional trans-
mission planning process, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Interregional Trans-
mission Planning Improvement Act of 2021’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:53 Jun 02, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2678.IH
H2678
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. RULEMAKING TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS 
OF INTERREGIONAL TRANSMISSION PLAN-
NING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regu-
latory Commission shall initiate a rulemaking address-
ing— 
(1) the effectiveness of existing planning proc-
esses for identifying interregional transmission 
projects that provide economic, reliability, oper-
ational, public policy, and environmental benefits 
(including reductions in carbon emissions), taking 
into consideration the public interest, the integrity of 
markets, and the protection of consumers; 
(2) changes to the processes described in para-
graph (1) to ensure that efficient, cost-effective, and 
broadly beneficial interregional transmission solu-
tions are selected for cost allocation, taking into con-
sideration— 
(A) the public interest; 
(B) the integrity of markets; 
(C) the protection of consumers; 
(D) the broad range of economic, reli-
ability, operational, public policy, and environ-
mental benefits that interregional transmission 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:53 Jun 02, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2678.IH
H2678
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
provides, including reductions in carbon emis-
sions; 
(E) the need for single projects to secure 
approvals based on a comprehensive assessment 
of the multiple benefits provided; 
(F) that projects that meet interregional 
benefit criteria should not be subject to subse-
quent reassessment by transmission planning 
authorities; 
(G) the importance of synchronization of 
planning processes in neighboring regions, such 
as using a joint model on a consistent timeline 
with a single set of needs, input assumptions, 
and benefit metrics; 
(H) that evaluation of long-term scenarios 
should align with the expected life of a trans-
mission asset; 
(I) that transmission planning authorities 
should allow for the identification and joint 
evaluation of alternatives proposed by stake-
holders; 
(J) that interregional planning should be 
done regularly and not less frequently than 
once every 3 years; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:53 Jun 02, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2678.IH
H2678
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(K) the elimination of arbitrary project 
voltage, size, or cost requirements for inter-
regional solutions; and 
(3) cost allocation methodologies that reflect 
the multiple benefits provided by interregional trans-
mission solutions, including economic, reliability, 
operational, public policy, and environmental bene-
fits (including reductions in carbon emissions). 
(b) TIMING.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regu-
latory Commission shall promulgate a final rule to com-
plete the rulemaking initiated under subsection (a). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:53 Jun 02, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2678.IH
H2678
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS