In a significant stride towards fortifying the nation's power infrastructure, the Biden-Harris istration has introduced a final transmission permitting rule alongside a substantial investment aimed at enhancing the resilience, reliability, and modernization of the electric grid across the Western United States. 3g5c2i

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced a groundbreaking Federal permitting rule, the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits (CITAP) Program, which promises to streamline the environmental review and permitting processes for qualifying transmission projects. This program is set to slash transmission review timelines in half, ensuring a swift yet thorough evaluation while maintaining the integrity of the environmental review process. Under CITAP, a standard two-year schedule for Federal environmental reviews and authorizations will be established, fostering efficiency without compromising on critical requirements.

Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized, "The Biden-Harris istration is doing everything everywhere to get more power to more people, in more places. We are acting with the urgency the American people deserve to realize a historic rework of the permitting process that slashes times for new transmission lines, puts more Americans to work, and meets the energy needs of today and the future."

Moreover, a monumental investment of up to $331 million, allocated through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has been earmarked to a new transmission line spanning from Idaho to Nevada. This project, constructed with union labor, is poised to inject over 2,000 megawatts (MW) of additional grid capacity into the Western US., equivalent to powering 2.5 million homes. The initiative will also spawn more than 300 new, high-quality union construction jobs, underscoring the istration's commitment to fostering employment opportunities while bolstering infrastructure.

John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, stressed, "In order to reach our clean energy and climate goals, we've got to build out transmission as fast as possible to get clean power from where it's produced to where it's needed. As today’s announcements demonstrate, the Biden-Harris istration is committed to using every tool at our disposal to accelerate progress on transmission permitting and financing and build a clean energy future."

In addition, the American Clean Power Association (A), represented by its CEO Jason Grumet, responded to the announced measures, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen the national electrical grid to meet economic, security, and climate goals. They recognized the importance of expanding high-voltage transmission infrastructure and improving the efficiency of the current grid, endorsing the White House's plans to modernize 100,000 miles of transmission lines. The A urges efficient coordination between federal agencies and member companies to streamline the permitting process and advocates for legislative reform to optimize the construction of high-impact transmission projects.

The unveiling of the CITAP Program and the substantial investment in transmission infrastructure signify pivotal steps in the istration's broader efforts to combat climate change, lower energy costs, and fortify energy security and grid reliability. With these initiatives, the Biden-Harris istration aims to ensure that Americans have access to clean, reliable, and affordable power, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards a sustainable energy future.