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ITC commends Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) for their efforts to achieve bipartisan agreement on permitting reform legislation. The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 represents a major step forward to enable grid planners to identify transmission projects needed to enhance reliability, enable economic growth, and support the adoption of new energy resources. This legislation also contains common-sense permitting reforms to ensure the timely development of energy infrastructure, including the country’s most critical transmission infrastructure projects.

As the largest independent transmission company in the U.S., we are familiar with the already lengthy timeline – on average, 8-10 years – for planning and building major transmission projects. This process can be even longer for projects that face litigation and are held up in the court system, causing delays, incurring significant costs, and holding up much needed infrastructure. We are pleased that the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 will aim to fix that by establishing deadlines and prioritizing crucial transmission projects needed to ensure the ongoing reliability of the grid.

ITC has long advocated for interregional planning reforms that will begin the process of integrating the nation’s balkanized energy markets, enhance reliability, and lower energy costs for customers. The legislation provides a valuable planning framework to promote forward-looking grid planning across regions. As the full House and Senate considers this legislation, ITC looks forward to offering additional perspective to ensure the transmission planning provisions can work in concert to achieve a holistic interregional planning framework.

Read more on the urgent need to invest in transmission here.