A team of state legislators, federal agency representatives, and key stakeholders has nearly completed work on an electric transmission line siting compact. The compact serves as a policy option for state policymakers and is intended to improve interstate transmission line siting.
The Council of State Governments, through its National Center for Interstate Compacts, convened the panel, co-chaired by North Dakota Rep. Kim Koppelman, a past national chair of CSG, and Kansas Rep. Tom Sloan, a past chair of CSG’s Energy and Environment Task Force.
“This compact has the potential to allow for cooperation between state legislators, state regulators, regional transmission operators, the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other involved stakeholders,” Koppelman said. “I believe it represents a significant step and will allow all involved parties to work together to more efficiently and effectively site interstate transmission lines.”
The compact is intended to improve efficiencies and create standardization during the siting process by establishing common applications, predetermined timelines, and uniform public comment periods. Such an agreement, and its requirements, would be triggered on an ad hoc basis and pertain only to those states that are both members of the compact and impacted by the proposed line.
The compact was drafted with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in mind. Title XII, Subtitle B, Section 1221 of the act granted the “consent of Congress for three or more contiguous states to enter into an interstate compact facilitating siting of future electric transmission facilities.”
With draft language nearly complete, interested parties can visit http://www.csg.org/NCIC/TransmissionLineSitingCompact.aspx to review the model language. Staff from CSG’s National Center for Interstate Compacts will host a session on the compact with CSG’s National Conference Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 in Austin, Texas. The drafters hope to have compact language finalized and ready for consideration by state legislatures starting in 2013.
National Center for Interstate Compacts
www.csg.org/ncic/
Filed Under: Policy
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