Interregional electric transmission planning

Part II of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 224. Improving interregional electric transmission planning (a) In general Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue regulations that require each pair or grouping of neighboring transmission planning regions to jointly develop and file with the Commission a process by which they will develop an interregional transmission plan to identify and to facilitate the construction or upgrade of onshore and offshore electric transmission facilities that are efficient, cost-effective, and broadly beneficial. Such process must address the considerations in subsection (b) and be filed within 6 months after the regulations required by this paragraph are finalized. Such process must require development of an interregional transmission plan within at least 3 years of the promulgation of the regulations and that a new plan be developed at least every 3 years thereafter, in alignment with long-term regional transmission plans developed under Orders 1920 and 1920–A (89 Fed. Reg. 49280 and 89 Fed. Reg. 97174). (b) Considerations In determining the requirements for a process described in subsection (a), the Commission shall require that such process advance— (1) the development of transmission systems that can operate for a minimum of 20 years and across a wide range of scenarios, including scenarios that take into account— (A) Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, and other factors that affect electricity demand and the current and future generation resource mix; (B) trends in technology and fuel costs; (C) the retirement of generation facilities, energy storage projects, and transmission facilities; (D) generator interconnection requests and withdrawals; and (E) extreme weather events, including in anticipation of how the frequency and intensity of these events are projected to change over the planning period due to climate change; (2) the public interest; (3) the integrity of electricity markets; (4) the protection of consumers; (5) the optimization of transmission benefits; (6) the need for an individual interregional transmission project to secure approvals based on a comprehensive assessment of the multiple benefits provided; (7) the importance of synchronization of planning processes in neighboring transmission planning regions, such as using a joint model on a consistent timeline with a single set of needs, input assumptions, and benefit metrics; (8) the need for an individual interregional transmission project that is identified in the interregional transmission plan of a pair of transmission planning regions not to be subject to any subsequent planning process by other transmission planning regions; (9) that evaluation of long-term scenarios should align with the expected life of an element of a transmission system; (10) that a pair of transmission planning regions should allow for the identification and joint evaluation of alternatives proposed by stakeholders, and ensure meaningful opportunities for States, Tribes, consumer advocates, labor organizations, and environmental justice communities to participate; (11) the need to eliminate arbitrary project voltage, size, or cost requirements for transmission projects; (12) the applicability of a broad range of alternatives to the construction of transmission facilities, including advanced transmission technologies, demand side flexibility, distributed storage, load management, dynamic line rating, and power flow control; and (13) the use of data and analyses provided by the Secretary of Energy, including as provided by the National Laboratories, regarding any of the items described in paragraphs (1) through (12). (c) Report Not later than 12 months after the issuance of regulations under subsection (a) and annually thereafter, the Commission shall publish in the Federal Register a report on the progress by each pair of transmission planning regions in identifying and facilitating the construction of interregional electric transmission projects, including a description of the transmission benefits associated with such projects. (d) Environmental benefits In assessing the environmental benefits associated with any activity undertaken pursuant to this Act, the Commission may use any relevant analysis or other information conducted or provided by the Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency..