Nuclear plant owner says an initial 300 MW of data center development can proceed despite federal regulator's rejection of grid link agreement to its facility in Pennsylvania. 

Invenergy Transmission plans to appeal the decision and is working to start construction next year on a separate portion of the total 800-mile line that is located in Kansas and Missouri. 

Departing Democrat Allison Clements will be replaced, as two new Democrats and a Republican are set to join the independent regulator of interstate oil and gas, hydropower and transmission projects.

Long-anticipated FERC rules require power providers to conduct 20-year-ahead plans for long-term transmission needs and give agency backstop siting authority for projects that cross grid boundaries.

The U.S. Dept. of Energy has aired a flurry of changed permit mandates and other project boosts to meet rising demand for more and cleaner energy.

Left in place is a lower court ruling that the state law is unconstitutional because it bars outside developers of federally approved regional transmission lines, which were termed “classic instruments of interstate commerce.”

Work to add higher-voltage capacity and 10,000 miles of new lines faces key issues in siting, cost allocation and regulatory tension, says transmission sector consultant Grid Strategies in Sept. 13 report. 

Unanimous FERC vote July 27 on final rule will prioritize the most construction-ready, financially-viable projects, but its effective date was not announced.

PJM Interconnection system could spur $33B in capital investment with simple transmission link process changes, says a new report.

Bechtel Energy is EPC contractor for the Rio Grande LNG project, with its $11.5B price agreement for the first three trains extended to June 15 and a final investment decision by developer Next Decade to be made by June 30.