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Untitled Document
Major legislation has been introduced which would affect the way in which transmission projects are planned and approved. Bills on the Senate side would utilize the same backstop siting provisions now encompassed in the NIETC regulations – limiting state authority and providing for FERC backstop authority with the availability of eminent domain. This authority would be applied without need to document congestion problems.
On the positive side, various bills contain important provisions to either incorporate the siting concerns of environmental groups or to institute carbon policies which would prevent uncontrolled increases in emissions from fossil fuel generators.
| Bill |
Energy Issues |
Conservation Issues |
Siting Interstate Transmission
(Senate ENR bill) |
Key Provisions
- Applies NIETC-like acceleration provisions to transmission approval across the nation (1 year backstop)
Recommended amendments
- Carbon cap and trade or CleanFirst regulations should be implemented before or in conjunction with this law to avoid unintended consequences undermining greenhouse gas policies
- Before incentives are granted, objective, integrated resource planning assessment should detail potential of demand response, energy efficiency and distributed generation near load centers
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Key Provisions
- FERC has siting authority on non-federal lands; Bureau of Land Management on federal lands;
- State input is to be solicited; public input allowed
- Eminent domain
Recommended amendments
- Inclusion of conservation organizations a la Renewable bill
- Avoidance of public lands and sensitive lands
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Clean Renewable Energy and Economic Development Act
S 539 |
Key Provisions
- Fosters renewable energy generation and transmission
- Applies NIETC-like acceleration provisions to transmission approval across the nation (1 year backstop)
Recommended amendments
- Carbon cap and trade or CleanFirst regulations should be implemented before or in conjunction with this law to avoid unintended consequences undermining greenhouse gas policies
- Before incentives are granted, objective, integrated resource planning assessment should detail potential of demand response, energy efficiency and distributed generation near load centers
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Key Provisions
- Will specify geographic zones for renewable generation (Renewable Energy Zones or REZ)
- Transmission planning to be tied to REZ planning
- FERC has siting authority
- Eminent domain
- Recommended amendments
- Avoidance of public lands and sensitive lands
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American Clean Energy S (ACES)
H.R. 2454 |
Key Provisions
- Institutes national cap and trade, renewable energy standard, energy efficiency standard
- Transmission provisions limited to planning only
Recommended amendments |
Key Provisions
- Contains no siting provisions
Recommended amendments
- If amendments re. siting are introduced, parallel Renewable approach plus suggested avoidance amendment above
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Read full text of these bills and current status at Thomas: Library of Congress (http://thomas.loc.gov/)
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "Pew Center Summary of the Waxman-Markey Discussion Draft: The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009".
Joint Letter to Carl Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy & Climate Change
Joint Letter to Senators Re: Electrical Transmission Reform
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