Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act of 2021
Bill: S.1015 | Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin (D-NM)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Interregional Transmission Planning Improvement Act of 2021
This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue a rule to evaluate the effectiveness of planning processes for projects concerning electric energy transmission across regions.
The rule must address (1) the effectiveness of existing planning processes for identifying interregional transmission projects that provide economic, reliability, operational, and public policy benefits, including reductions in carbon emissions; (2) changes to such processes to ensure that efficient, cost-effective, and broadly beneficial transmission solutions are selected for cost allocation; and (3) cost allocation methodologies that reflect the multiple benefits provided by interregional solutions.

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to initiate a 
 rulemaking to reform the interregional transmission planning process, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Interregional Transmission Planning 
Improvement Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. RULEMAKING TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERREGIONAL 
              TRANSMISSION PLANNING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall 
initiate a rulemaking addressing--
            (1) the effectiveness of existing planning processes for 
        identifying interregional transmission projects that provide 
        economic, reliability, operational, 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 paragraph (1) to 
        ensure that efficient, cost-effective, and broadly beneficial 
        interregional transmission solutions are selected for cost 
        allocation, taking into consideration--
                    (A) the public interest;
                    (B) the integrity of markets;
                    (C) the protection of consumers;
                    (D) the broad range of economic, reliability, 
                operational, public policy, and environmental benefits 
                that interregional transmission provides, including 
                reductions in carbon emissions;
                    (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 subsequent 
                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 transmission asset;
                    (I) that transmission planning authorities should 
                allow for the identification and joint evaluation of 
                alternatives proposed by stakeholders;
                    (J) that interregional planning should be done 
                regularly and not less frequently than once every 3 
                years; and
                    (K) the elimination of arbitrary project voltage, 
                size, or cost requirements for interregional solutions; 
                and
            (3) cost allocation methodologies that reflect the multiple 
        benefits provided by interregional transmission solutions, 
        including economic, reliability, operational, public policy, 
        and environmental benefits (including reductions in carbon 
        emissions).
    (b) Timing.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall promulgate 
a final rule to complete the rulemaking initiated under subsection (a).
                                 <all>