FERC approves new transmission siting procedures
Order No. 1977 was unanimously approved, laying out the framework for implementing its limited authority over siting transmission lines.
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USA, Washington D.C.: FERC’s unanimously approved Order No. 1977 lays out the framework for implementing its limited authority over siting transmission lines, as revised by Congress in 2021. The order is set to take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register and aims to update the process for instances where FERC must exercise its siting authority.
FERC Chairman Willie Phillips emphasized its importance, saying, “This rule today follows the action of Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 by updating the deliberative process for FERC in the event the Commission needs to act on a transmission siting request.”
Several key provisions are included in the order. A Landowner Bill of Rights is introduced. This ensures that landowners potentially affected by proposed transmission lines are informed of their right to intervene in relevant Commission proceedings. The order codifies an Applicant Code of Conduct, serving as a guideline for applicants to demonstrate their good-faith efforts in engaging with landowners during the permitting process.
It also directs applicants to develop engagement plans aimed at outreach to environmental justice communities and Tribes, including the production of Tribal Resources Reports, which consolidate requirements for describing the effects of projects on Tribes, Tribal lands, and Tribal resources. Applicants must identify affected Tribes, describe project impacts on them, and develop Tribal Engagement Plans outlining outreach activities.
They are also required to develop Environmental Justice Public Engagement Plans, detailing outreach activities targeted at potentially affected environmental justice communities. This information helps the creation of Environmental Justice Resource Reports, which identify impacted environmental justice communities and describe project effects. The order doesn’t adopt the proposal to allow simultaneous processing of state and FERC siting applications, thus acknowledging the primary role of states in the siting process.
Source: T&D World