The Obama Administration announced on October 5 that it will fast-track the permitting and construction of seven proposed electric transmission lines across 12 U.S. states.

The projects—which will deploy a total of more than 3,100 miles of new transmission lines in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—promise to create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, upgrade the grid, and give consumers more energy choices. 

In addition, adding necessary transmission infrastructure will:

·         Integrate renewable electricity sources into the grid,

·         Accommodate the growing number of electric vehicles on America’s roads,

·         Help avoid blackouts,

·         Restore power more quickly when outages occur, and

·         Reduce the need for new power plants. 

“The President wants to get America working again.  He is committed to cutting red tape and making immediate investments to put people to work modernizing our roads, bridges, airports, and energy systems,” said Obama’s principal environmental policy adviser Nancy Sutley, chair of theCouncil on Environmental Quality. 

Usually, getting a federal permit is similar to watching time-lapse photography: Something is materializing, but progress is gradual. Indeed, ffederal permitting of a transmission line can take a decade or longer, with a host of agencies evaluating the project and its impacts.  Now, the government intends to accelerate the process— and increase cooperation at the federal, state, and tribal levels—by expanding the scope of an agreement put in place two years ago.  

In October 2009, nine federal entities, including the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding increasing their coordination to expedite and simplify building of transmission lines on federal lands. 

The Administration’s recently formed Rapid Response Team for Transmission (RRTT), comprising the same nine agencies, will expand collaborative activities beyond federal lands. The agreement will cut approval time off the normal Federal permit process and help break down the barriers to siting new transmission lines by:

• Designating a single federal point-of-contact for all federal authorizations;
• Facilitating coordination and unified environmental documentation among project applicants, federal agencies, states, and tribes involved in the siting and permitting process;
• Establishing clear timelines for agency review and coordination; and
• Establishing a single consolidated environmental review and administrative record.

Instead of requiring applicants to go to multiple agencies, a single lead agency will coordinate all permits and approvals.  The new process will keep applications on track by requiring agencies to set and meet clear deadlines and improve transparency by creating a single record to be posted online.

 “Transmission is a vital component of our nation’s energy portfolio, and these seven lines, when completed, will serve as important links across our country to increase our power grid’s capacity and reliability,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.  “This is the kind of critical infrastructure we should be working together to advance in order to create jobs and move our nation toward energy independence.”

"To compete in the global economy, we need a modern electricity grid,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “An upgraded electricity grid will give consumers choices while promoting energy savings, increasing energy efficiency, and fostering the growth of renewable energy resources.”

Specifically, the projects that are about to go forward include:

• Boardman-Hemingway Line powering Oregon and Idaho: The new 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line proposed by Idaho Power would create an approximately 300-mile-long, single-circuit electric transmission line from a proposed substation near Boardman, Oregon, to the Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho—known as the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project or B2H Project.  According to the developer of this project, during peak construction, it will create about 500 jobs in Idaho and Oregon.

• Gateway (News - Alert) West Project to create new transmission across Wyoming and Idaho: Jointly proposed by Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power, this project would add approximately 1,150 miles of new, high-voltage transmission lines between the Windstar Substation near Glenrock, Wyoming, and the Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho. During peak construction, it will create between 1,100 and 1,200 jobs.

•  Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse Line for Minnesota and Wisconsin: This double- circuit -capable 345 kV transmission line will run between a new substation near Hampton, Minnesota, and a new substation north of Pine Island, Minnesota, and then continue on to cross the Mississippi River near Alma, Wisconsin. A single-circuit 345 kV line also will be built in Wisconsin, bound for a new substation in the La Crosse area. Two 161 kV lines will be built between the new substation near Pine Island and existing substations northwest and east of Rochester. About 1,650 jobs will be created during peak construction.

• Cascade Crossing Line to provide more transmission for Oregon: Portland General Electric’s proposed Cascade Crossing Transmission Project will comprise approximately 210 miles of 500 kV transmission line from Boardman to Salem, Oregon—for the construction of four new substations, expansion of three existing substations, and upgrades to the existing transmission systems near Salem.  According to the developer, Cascade Crossing is expected to create about 450 jobs during peak construction.

• SunZia Transmission, LLC, to bring power to New Mexico and Arizona: SunZia Transmission, LLC, plans to construct and operate up to two 500 kV transmission lines originating at a new substation in Lincoln County in the vicinity of Ancho, New Mexico, and terminating at the Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County, near Coolidge, Arizona. The project will engender about 3,408 direct jobs during the construction period.

• Susquehanna to Roseland Line to supply new transmission to Pennsylvania and New Jersey:  PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) have proposed the Susquehanna-Roseland power line project which includes an approximately 145-mile long 500 kV transmission line from the Susquehanna Substation in Pennsylvania to the Roseland Substation in New Jersey, and several 500 kV – 230 kV substations in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Based on the current schedule for the environmental review, the project is expected to be in service in the spring of 2015.  According to the project’s developer, over 2000 jobs will be created in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

• Transwest Express to stand-up transmission from Wyoming to Utah and Nevada: TransWest Express LLC plans to construct and operate a more than 700-mile, 600 kV, transmission line, which is estimated by the developer to create from 1,035 to 1,550 direct jobs per year at peak construction. This project will facilitate the development of new wind projects in Wyoming.

 “I am cautiously optimistic this Rapid Response Team could align the work of all the federal agencies involved in permitting these transmission lines,” said Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. “I am happy that two Wyoming lines were included in this effort. These projects and others like them need the attention of leaders in Washington, D.C.”

"It's clear the administration recognizes the importance of this transmission system upgrade that will maintain electric reliability for millions of people in our region," said Ralph LaRossa, president of PSE&G, the largest utility in New Jersey. "Since this project was announced, we have been working closely with state and federal agencies, such as the National Park Service, to ensure a timely review and approval of permits that are needed before work can begin. We fully understand and support a thorough assessment. At the same time, utilities need the ability to make these critical system upgrades in a timely manner. The Rapid Response Team is a welcome addition to the federal permitting process."

"To compete in the global economy, we need a modern electricity grid,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “An upgraded electricity grid will give consumers choices while promoting energy savings, increasing energy efficiency, and fostering the growth of renewable energy resources.”