Sec. 33116. Interregional transmission planning rulemaking
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Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission ) shall initiate a rulemaking to increase the effectiveness of the interregional transmission planning process. In conducting the rulemaking under subsection (a), the Commission shall assess— the effectiveness of interregional transmission planning processes for identifying transmission planning solutions that provide economic, reliability, operation, and public policy benefits, taking into consideration— the public interest; the integrity of markets; and the protection of consumers; and proposed changes to the processes described in paragraph
(1)to ensure that efficient, cost-effective, and broadly beneficial transmission solutions are selected for construction, taking into consideration— the public interest; the integrity of markets; the protection of consumers; and the range of benefits that interregional transmission provides. In conducting the rulemaking under subsection (a), the Commission shall develop rules that emphasize— the need for a solution to secure approval based on a comprehensive assessment of the multiple benefits the solution is expected to provide; that interregional benefit analyses made between multiple regions should not be subject to reassessment by a single regional entity; the importance of synchronizing the planning processes between regions that neighbor one another, including using one timeline with a single set of needs, input assumptions, and benefit metrics; that evaluation of long-term scenarios should align with the expected life of an interregional transmission solution; that transmission planning authorities should allow for the identification and joint evaluation between regions of alternative proposals; that the interregional transmission planning process should take place not less frequently than once every 3 years; the elimination of arbitrary voltage, size, or cost requirements for an interregional transmission solution; and cost allocation methodologies that reflect the multiple benefits provided by an interregional transmission solution. Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall complete the rulemaking initiated under subsection (a). In this section: The term interregional benefit analysis means the identification and evaluation of the estimated benefits of interregional transmission facilities in two or more neighboring transmission planning regions to meet the needs for transmission system reliability, resilience, economic, and public policy requirements. The term interregional transmission planning process means an evaluation of transmission needs established by public utility transmission providers in two or more neighboring transmission planning regions that are jointly evaluated by those regions. The term interregional transmission solution means an interregional transmission facility that is evaluated by two or more neighboring transmission planning regions and determined by each of those regions for the ability of the project to efficiently or cost effectively meet regional transmission needs or to provide substantial benefits that are not addressed in either of the region’s regional planning processes. The term transmission planning authority means the public utility transmission provider within a transmission planning region that is required to create a regional transmission plan that identifies transmission facilities and nontransmission alternatives needed to meet regional needs. The term transmission planning regions means the transmission planning regions recognized by the Commission as compliant with the final rule entitled Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation by Transmission Owning and Operating Public Utilities located at part 35 of title 18, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).