Projects selected by the U.S. Dept. of Energy would add nearly 1,000 miles of transmission development and 7,100 MW of capacity in Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

When will the pace of new line construction pick up?

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. 

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.

Ruling on 550-mile high-voltage, direct-current line to carry onshore wind from New Mexico will be appealed, project opponents said.

Investment in 26 transmission projects would accommodate an added 85 GW of generating capacity to meet state load growth and greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2035, state grid operator CAISO said. 

Quanta Services' 550-mile transmission line under construction in Arizona faces pushback from tribes, others over claimed threats to historic and cultural sites in San Pedro River Valley.

Proposed large transmission builds in New England, four western states and two border states will negotiate funding terms with the US Energy Dept. 

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.