,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gdje  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #e1        
#bjbf,mr4 ,mullin introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,energy to conduct a study on using     
highway rights-of-way and rail          
rights-of-way as locations on which to  
construct high-voltage transmission     
infrastructure1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,rail and ,highway ,transmission
 ,planning ,act4  #b4 ,sense of         
,congress2 ,purpose  7a7 ,sense of      
,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress 
that transportation rights-of-way1      
including highway and rail              
rights-of-way1 should be utilized in    
ways that serve the public interest1    
including accommodating new electric    
transmission infrastructure4  7b7       
,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to
 accelerate the development of          

high-voltage transmission infrastructure
 by identifying opportunities to        
co-locate such projects within existing 
transportation rights-of-way1 with the  
goal of alleviating energy capacity     
constraints and delivering more         
affordable1 reliable electricity for    
consumers4  #c4 ,study on placing       
high-voltage transmission infrastructure
 on rail and highway rights-of-ways  7a7
 ,study ,the ,secretary of ,energy1 in  
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,transportation1 the ,federal ,energy   
,regulatory ,commission1 and each       
director of a ,national ,laboratory     
determined relevant by the ,secretary of
 ,energy1 shall conduct a study         
evaluating the potential benefits and   
challenges of using covered             
rights-of-way as locations on which to  
construct high-voltage transmission     
infrastructure4  7b7 ,elements ,in      
carrying out the study under subsection 
7a71 the ,secretary of ,energy shall--  
7#a7 conduct a review of projects       

completed or being carried out to       
develop high-voltage electric           
transmission infrastructure on a covered
 right-of-way in the ,united ,states1   
including an assessment of any          
challenges with respect to safety1      
engineering1 property rights1 or other  
matters encountered while carrying out  
such projects and how each such         
challenge was addressed2  7#b7 based on 
the results of the review under         
paragraph 7#a71 determine best practices
 with respect to the planning1          
permitting1 financing1 and developing of
 high-voltage electric transmission     
infrastructure on a covered             
right-of-way2  7#c7 generate1 or        
consolidate from available sources1 data
 on covered rights-of-way to evaluate   
the technical feasibility of building   
high-voltage transmission lines on each 
such covered right-of-way2  7#d7 using  
data generated or consolidated under    
paragraph 7#c71 identify each covered   
right-of-way suitable for the           

construction of high-voltage            
transmission lines considering-- 7,a7   
with respect to the geographic region of
 each covered right-of-way evaluated1   
the need for transmission infrastructure
 to alleviate energy transmission       
capacity constraints or congestion in   
the geographic region2  7,b7 the        
technical feasibility of building       
high-voltage transmission lines on each 
such covered right-of-way2 and  7,c7 any
 other considerations determined        
appropriate by the ,secretary2  7#e7    
with respect to each covered            
right-of-way identified under paragraph 
7#d7-- 7,a7 evaluate the suitability of 
various high-voltage transmission       
configurations1 accounting for the      
infrastructure needs of each such       
configuration1 including-- 7i7          
high-voltage alternating current2  7ii7 
high-voltage direct current2  7iii7     
point-to-point high-voltage direct      
current2  7iv7 multi-terminal           
bi-directional high-voltage direct      

current systems2  7v7 overhead lines2   
7vi7 underground lines2 and  7vii7 any  
other relevant configuration1 as        
determined by the ,secretary2  7,b7     
identify and examine any potential      
challenges unique to transmission       
development in the covered right-of-way2
  7,c7 determine the costs and benefits 
of constructing high-voltage            
transmission infrastructure in the      
covered right-of-way1 including any cost
 or time savings expected to be realized
 with respect to land acquisition or    
obtaining any requisite permits1 and    
compare such costs and benefits to the  
average costs and benefits of           
constructing similar high-voltage       
transmission infrastructure on lands    
that are not a covered right-of-way2    
7,d7 identify-- 7i7 any potential       
funding mechanisms and financing        
opportunities available for entities to 
use for the construction of high-voltage
 transmission infrastructure on the     
right-of-way2 and  7ii7 any potential   

financial benefits for stakeholders in  
such construction1 including owners of  
property abutting the right-of-way or   
otherwise implicated by the             
construction2 and  7,e7 analyze how1 if 
at all1 the construction of high-voltage
 transmission infrastructure on the     
covered right-of-way is likely to       
support improvements in grid            
reliability1 streamline the             
interconnection queue1 increase energy  
transmission capacity1 contribute to    
reduced energy costs for energy         
consumers1 and improve highway or rail  
safety and efficiency2  7#f7 evaluate   
the effects1 if any1 of constructing and
 operating high-voltage transmission    
lines on covered rights-of-way on the   
environment1 railroad operations1 and   
communities near the right-of-way1      
including-- 7,a7 electromagnetic        
interference with rail safety1 rail     
signaling equipment1 and rail           
communication equipment2 and  7,b7 the  
potential for safety or operational     

interference while performing           
maintenance1 rehabilitation work1 or    
expansion of transportation             
infrastructure on covered rights-of-way2
  7#g7 develop-- 7,a7 an interagency    
action plan with respect to the         
construction and operation of           
high-voltage transmission lines on      
covered rights-of-way2 and  7,b7 for use
 facilitating the construction of       
high-voltage transmission infrastructure
 on a covered right-of-way1 resources   
for use by-- 7i7 ,federal1 ,state1 and  
local governmental agencies2 and  7ii7  
utilities1 railroad carriers1 and other 
relevant stakeholders1 as identified by 
the ,secretary2 and  7#h7 consult       
utilities1 railroad carriers1 and any   
relevant stakeholders1 as identified by 
the ,secretary4  7c7 ,publication  7#a7 
,rolling publication of study elements  
,as soon as is practicable after each   
element of the study described in       
subsection 7b7 is complete1 the         
,secretary shall publish the results of 

the element and any data developed or   
consolidated in the completion of the   
element4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than  
#c years after the date of enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7  
submit to ,congress a report detailing  
the results of the study under          
subsection 7a71 including all data      
underpinning such results1 which shall  
be presented in a machine-readable      
format2 and  7,b7 publish such report   
and such data4  7#c7 ,form ,all         
information1 data1 and reports published
 pursuant to this subsection-- 7,a7     
shall be published on a publicly        
accessible website of the ,department of
 ,energy2 and  7,b7 may be published    
with redactions of any data the         
publication of which the ,secretary     
determine poses a national security     
risk4  7d7 ,definitions ,in this        
section3 7#a7 ,covered right-of-way ,the
 term covered right-of-way means-- 7,a7 
a highway right-of-way1 including a     
right-of-way of a ,state highway and a  

right-of-way of the ,national ,highway  
,system2 or  7,b7 a rail right-of-way1  
including a right-of-way of an abandoned
 railroad4  7#b7 ,highway2 ,national    
,highway ,system ,the terms highway and 
,national ,highway ,system have the     
meanings given such terms1 respectively1
 in section #aja of title #bc1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,national          
,laboratory ,the term ,national         
,laboratory has the meaning given the   
term in section #b of the ,energy       
,policy ,act of #bjje 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#aehja74  7#d7 ,railroad carrier ,the   
term railroad carrier has the meaning   
given such term in section #bjajb of    
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4