PA Environment Digest Blog: Sen. Laughlin Introduces Resolution Urging PA To Enter Into Multistate Compacts To Oversee Policies, Procedures For Planning, Siting, Construction, Operation Of Interstate Electric Transmission Lines

On May 4, Sen. Daniel Laughlin (R-Erie) introduced Senate Resolution 297 urging the Governor and Public Utility Commission to enter into multistate compacts to oversee policies and procedures for the planning, siting, construction and operation of interstate electric transmission lines.

In his announcement of the resolution, Sen. Laughlin said-- “The increasing demands placed upon our country’s electric grid necessitate substantial upgrades and expansions to ensure the reliable delivery of energy, facilitate the integration of advanced energy sources, and enhance the resilience of extreme weather-related disruptions.

“Nevertheless, the permitting process associated with the construction and upgrading of new and existing electric transmission infrastructure has emerged as a notable impediment.

“To address the challenge, the adoption of multi-state compacts provides a pragmatic and cooperative framework to reduce regulatory burden while benefiting communities.

“Such compacts represent agreements among states aimed at harmonizing permitting processes, incentivizing the deployment of Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs), establishing uniform Rights of Way (ROW) guidelines, and fostering competitive bidding to deliver the best prices to ratepayers.

“By delivering greater certainty, uniformity, and efficiency for key transmission stakeholders, including Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) like PJM, these compacts could lay the groundwork for the future development of the national grid.”

The resolution urges these principles be included in any compact--

-- Uniform applicability to all electric generation methods;

-- Allocation of costs holistically to all beneficiaries without targeting specific industries;

-- Equal applicability of the compact to all states that enter into the compact

-- Uniformity of siting and certification processes;

-- Streamlining of permits and reviews for adopting innovative grid-enhancing technologies;

-- Opening the bidding process to interstate projects;

-- Eliminating double permitting; and

-- Prioritizing the designation of colocation superhighways for streamlined permitting and coordinated infrastructure development when possible.

Click Here for a copy of the resolution.

Background

Discussion of multistate transmission line compacts dates back to at least to 2011, when the interstate Council of State Governments made recommendations to the US Department of Energy on the issue in 2013.

Multistate compacts for siting and approving interstate transmission lines have also been promoted by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.

However, there has been little discussion of the role of interstate transmission line compacts within the context of the current explosive and controversial growth of A.I. data center power demands.

Interstate and other transmission line projects serving data centers have been a major flashpoint of controversy where the public many times believes they have no ability to impact projects, especially where condemnation of property is concerned to build the power lines.

Currently, distant agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the PJM Interconnection regional grid operator have major responsibilities for planning and approving the siting of interstate and other transmission lines.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is primarily concerned about in-state transmission lines, but has participated in FERC and PJM proceedings on interstate and other major transmission line projects.

Visit the PUC’s Transmission Lines webpage for background on how the PUC reviews transmission line proposals.

Reshuffling all these responsibilities and ensuring the public interest and effective public participation are bedrock principles in multistate transmission compacts that will require lots of discussion.

Otherwise, creating another distant and out-of-touch organization to deal with these issues will not be productive for the ratepayers and property owners they impact.

(Map: NextEra Energy proposes 107 mile transmission line from Western PA into Virginia to feed A.I. data centers, asking the PA Public Utility Commission for authority to condemn land. Read more here.)

Resource Links - Transmission Line Projects:

-- Erie Times: Stalled Plan Revived To Bring Electricity Under Lake Erie From Canada

-- DEP Invites Comments On Federal Coastal Zone Consistency Determination For The Canada-US Lake Erie Electric Transmission Line Project, Landfall Erie County, PA [PaEN]

-- Visit the NextEra Energy Lake Erie Electric Transmission Line Project webpage for more information on the project.

-- WESA/The Allegheny Front: Electric Transmission Line Company Wants Authority To Condemn Property From PA PUC For Proposed Power Line In SW PA To Feed A.I. Data Centers In Virginia

-- PUC Raises Cost, Other Concerns With Proposed 222 Mile Kammer Juniata Electric Transmission Line Project Going Through 10 PA Counties [To Help Feed A.I. Data Center Demands In Eastern PA] [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Leura Legere: Utility Watchdogs Say Rate Request By Proposed 220-Mile NextEra/Exelon Kammer Juniata Power Lines In PA To Feed Data Centers Would Turn Existing Ratepayers Into ‘Piggy Bank’

-- PUC Judge Concludes Transource Did Not Prove Franklin, York Counties Power Line Is Needed, Or Protects Natural Resources As Required By Environmental Rights Amendment [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Individual Stormwater Permit For The 150 Mile Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC Piney-Seward, Erie South Piney Transmission Line Project Thru 8 Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Permits For 5 Large Electric Transmission, Substation Projects In 14 Counties, Including 150 Mile Piney-Seward and Erie South-Piney Transmission Project Crossing 8 Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On A Chapter 105 Permit For The Limerick 67 MW PECO Energy Transmission Line Crossing The Schuylkill River In Chester, Montgomery Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Encroachment Permit For Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, LLC Project To Rebuild Power Lines To Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant In Dauphin County [PaEN]