,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajae  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #be1    
#bjba,mr4 ,heinrich introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
require the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory
 ,commission to initiate a rulemaking to
 reform the interregional transmission  
planning process1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,interregional      
,transmission ,planning ,improvement    
,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,rulemaking to      
increase the effectiveness of           
interregional transmission planning  7a7
 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory  
,commission shall initiate a rulemaking 
addressing-- 7#a7 the effectiveness of  
existing planning processes for         
identifying interregional transmission  
projects that provide economic1         

reliability1 operational1 public policy1
 and environmental benefits 7including  
reductions in carbon emissions71 taking 
into consideration the public interest1 
the integrity of markets1 and the       
protection of consumers2  7#b7 changes  
to the processes described in paragraph 
7#a7 to ensure that efficient1          
cost-effective1 and broadly beneficial  
interregional transmission solutions are
 selected for cost allocation1 taking   
into consideration-- 7,a7 the public    
interest2  7,b7 the integrity of        
markets2  7,c7 the protection of        
consumers2  7,d7 the broad range of     
economic1 reliability1 operational1     
public policy1 and environmental        
benefits that interregional transmission
 provides1 including reductions in      
carbon emissions2  7,e7 the need for    
single projects to secure approvals     
based on a comprehensive assessment of  
the multiple benefits provided2  7,f7   
that projects that meet interregional   
benefit criteria should not be subject  

to subsequent reassessment by           
transmission planning authorities2  7,g7
 the importance of synchronization of   
planning processes in neighboring       
regions1 such as using a joint model on 
a consistent timeline with a single set 
of needs1 input assumptions1 and benefit
 metrics2  7,h7 that evaluation of      
long-term scenarios should align with   
the expected life of a transmission     
asset2  7,i7 that transmission planning 
authorities should allow for the        
identification and joint evaluation of  
alternatives proposed by stakeholders2  
7,j7 that interregional planning should 
be done regularly and not less          
frequently than once every #c years2 and
  7,k7 the elimination of arbitrary     
project voltage1 size1 or cost          
requirements for interregional          
solutions2 and  7#c7 cost allocation    
methodologies that reflect the multiple 
benefits provided by interregional      
transmission solutions1 including       
economic1 reliability1 operational1     

public policy1 and environmental        
benefits 7including reductions in carbon
 emissions74  7b7 ,timing ,not later    
than #ah months after the date of       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,federal    
,energy ,regulatory ,commission shall   
promulgate a final rule to complete the 
rulemaking initiated under subsection   
7a74