This week is Infrastructure Week, and EEI and our member companies join United for Infrastructure in recognizing the importance of infrastructure investments. 

Electric transmission infrastructure is the backbone of the nation’s energy grid. Electric companies are integrating clean energy resources and technologies to reduce carbon emissions. They also are prioritizing reliability as they make investments to strengthen and secure the energy grid as electricity demand grows and extreme weather events increase in intensity and frequency.  

To continue to deliver resilient clean energy to America’s customers, we must also expand and modernize the transmission system. 

We Need Siting and Permitting Reform

Studies show that to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, the United States will need to at least double its transmission capacity to support the integration of clean energy and greater electrification, as sectors like transportation electrify to reduce carbon emissions.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which EEI strongly supported and which was signed into law in 2021, provided the single largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history, with provisions that can help EEI’s member companies upgrade and expand electrical infrastructure—including by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of clean energy. 

And, the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, contained clean energy tax provisions that incentivize the increased development of electrical transmission infrastructure.

While EEI and our member companies applaud Congress for supporting transmission investment, changes must be made to the existing siting and permitting process to take full advantage of these pieces of legislation. 

The current inefficient process can take federal agencies and local authorities years to complete environmental reviews and to issue necessary permits before construction even begins. Increasingly, these projects are the focus of protracted litigation that disrupts the deployment of clean energy resources, delays the creation of clean energy jobs, and adds time and cost to these critical projects.

We need a coordinated, consistent, and efficient siting and permitting regulatory framework. EEI supports environmental and regulatory processes that are clear, transparent, and as efficient as possible.

For more information on siting and permitting reform and the energy grid:

• Listen to the Electric Perspectives Podcast episode “Siting and Permitting Reforms Are Necessary for a Clean Energy Future,” featuring Dominion Energy Vice President of Federal Affairs Ann Loomis and EEI Senior Director of Government Relations Patrick Arness.
• Read the We are Advocating for Siting and Permitting Reform section of the “Electric Power Industry Outlook” feature in the latest issue of Electric Perspectives.