act by the deadline established by the Secretary pur-
suant to this section for deciding whether to issue 
the authorization, the applicant or any State in 
which the facility would be located may file an ap-
peal with the Secretary, who shall, in consultation 
with the affected agency, review the denial or take 
action on the pending application. Based on the 
overall record and in consultation with the affected 
agency, the Secretary shall within 90 days issue the 
necessary authorization with any appropriate condi-
tions, or deny the appeal. In making a decision 
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall comply 
with applicable requirements of Federal law, includ-
ing any requirements of the Endangered Species 
Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Forest Man-
agement Act, the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, and the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act. 
‘‘(5) CONFORMING REGULATIONS AND MEMO-
RANDA
OF
UNDERSTANDING.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary of Energy shall issue regulations nec-
essary to implement this subsection. Not later than 
1 year after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary and the heads of Federal agencies
with authority to issue Federal authorizations shall 
enter into Memoranda of Understanding to imple-
ment this section. 
‘‘(6) DURATION AND RENEWAL.—Each Federal 
land use authorization for an electricity transmission 
or distribution facility shall be issued— 
‘‘(A) for a duration, as determined by the 
Secretary of Energy, commensurate with the 
anticipated use of the facility, and 
‘‘(B) with appropriate authority to manage 
the right-of-way for reliability and environ-
mental protection. 
Upon the expiration of any such authorization (in-
cluding an authorization issued prior to enactment 
of this section), the authorization shall be reviewed 
for renewal taking fully into account reliance on 
such electricity infrastructure, recognizing its impor-
tance for public health, safety and economic welfare 
and as a legitimate use of Federal lands. 
‘‘(7) MAINTAINING
AND
ENHANCING
THE 
TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE.—In exercising the 
responsibilities under this section, the Secretary of 
Energy shall consult regularly with the Federal En-
ergy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and owners
and operators of electric transmission and distribu-
tion facilities. 
‘‘(h) INTERSTATE COMPACTS.—The consent of Con-
gress is hereby given for 3 or more contiguous States to 
enter into an interstate compact, subject to approval by 
Congress, establishing regional transmission siting agen-
cies to facilitate siting of future electric energy trans-
mission facilities within such States and to carry out the 
electric energy transmission siting responsibilities of such 
States. The Secretary of Energy may provide technical as-
sistance to regional transmission siting agencies estab-
lished under this subsection. Such regional transmission 
siting agencies shall have the authority to review, certify, 
and permit siting of transmission facilities, including fa-
cilities in national interest electric transmission corridors 
(other than facilities on property owned by the United 
States). The Commission shall have no authority to issue 
a permit for the construction or modification of electric 
transmission facilities within a State that is a party to 
a compact, unless the members of a compact are in dis-
agreement and the Secretary makes, after notice and an 
opportunity for a hearing, the finding described in section 
(b)(1)(C). 
‘‘(i) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to affect any requirement of the environ-
mental laws of the United States, including, but not lim-
ited to, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 
Subsection (h)(3) of this section shall not apply to any 
Congressionally-designated components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System, the National Wild and 
Scenic Rivers System, or the National Park system (in-
cluding National Monuments therein). 
‘‘(j) ERCOT.—This section shall not apply within the 
area referred to in section 212(k)(2)(A).’’. 
(b) REPORTS
TO CONGRESS
ON CORRIDORS
AND 
RIGHTS OF WAY ON FEDERAL LAND.—The Secretary of 
the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Ag-
riculture, and the Chairman of the Council on Environ-
mental Quality shall, within 90 days of the date of enact-
ment of this subsection, submit a joint report to Congress 
identifying each of the following: 
(1) All existing designated transmission and 
distribution corridors on Federal land and the status 
of work related to proposed transmission and dis-
tribution corridor designations under Title V of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 
U.S.C. 1761 et. Seq.), the schedule for completing 
such work, any impediments to completing the work, 
and steps that Congress could take to expedite the 
process.
(2) The number of pending applications to lo-
cate transmission and distribution facilities on Fed-
eral lands, key information relating to each such fa-
cility, how long each application has been pending, 
the schedule for issuing a timely decision as to each 
facility, and progress in incorporating existing and 
new such rights-of-way into relevant land use and 
resource management plans or their equivalent. 
(3) The number of existing transmission and 
distribution rights-of-way on Federal lands that will 
come up for renewal within the following 5, 10, and 
15 year periods, and a description of how the Secre-
taries plan to manage such renewals. 
SEC. 8. ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION PROPERTY TREATED AS 
15-YEAR PROPERTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subparagraph (E) of section 
168(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating 
to classification of certain property) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (v), by striking the period 
at the end of clause (vi) and by inserting ‘‘, and’’, and 
by adding at the end the following new clause: 
‘‘(vii) any section 1245 property (as defined in sec-
tion 1245(a)(3)) used in the transmission at 69 or more 
kilovolts of electricity for sale the original use of which
commences with the taxpayer after the date of the enact-
ment of this clause.’’. 
(b) ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM.— The table contained in 
section 168(g)(3)(B) is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to subparagraph (E)(vi) the following: 
‘‘(E)(vii) .................................................................................
30’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to property placed in service after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, in taxable years 
ending after such date. 
Æ