On June 17, 2021, FERC took two actions to encourage
transmission development across the U.S. Specifically, FERC
issued an order establishing a joint state-federal task force to
evaluate transmission development issues, and also issued a policy
statement clarifying that states and public utilities remain free
to coordinate and collaborate on transmission projects. As Chairman
Glick stated in the Commission meeting announcing the order and
policy statement, these actions are intended to enable FERC to be
“fully engaged with [its] state partners,” ahead of
“several transmission initiatives” that may be issued
from the Commission in the coming months.
In the first order, FERC announced a collaboration with the
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(“NARUC”) to establish a first-of-its-kind joint
federal-state task force to evaluate barriers to, and solutions to
facilitate, enhanced transmission development. Acting under
FERC's Federal Power Act
