December 4, 2024 (press release) –
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO), today announced technical assistance (TA) available to states to help them engage in transmission planning activities, including the new long-term regional transmission planning processes being developed in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order No. 1920. FERC Order No. 1920 requires regional transmission planning entities to conduct long-term and more comprehensive regional transmission planning and expands the role of state entities in informing the processes and determining how the costs of new transmission facilities will be allocated to customers.
“States are a pivotal voice to include in long-term regional transmission planning and we are thrilled to provide assistance to ensure they can maximize their role in these processes,” said Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy. “Through support from GDO, states can engage at several key decision points, including scenario development, cost allocation, and evaluation and selection criteria for transmission facilities. Their active participation in these planning decisions can lead to the selection of transmission projects that better meet regional needs, are more likely to reach commercial deployment, and whose costs are allocated in a more transparent way.”
State interest in engaging in transmission planning activities is growing as state regulators and officials seek to address growing electricity demand, the impacts of extreme weather, and other pressures on grid reliability and affordability. In addition, FERC Order No. 1920 includes several provisions that bolster the role of state regulators in long-term regional transmission planning process and transmission cost allocation decisions.
GDO is offering technical assistance to states to participate in the six-month state engagement period required under FERC Order No. 1920. The six-month state engagement period in any planning region must conclude by the compliance deadline of June 12, 2025, though it may be extended in planning regions for which states request an extension. In addition, GDO TA will be available to assist states in ongoing efforts to engage in long-term regional transmission planning after the compliance deadline, including providing input to the development of transmission planning scenarios by regional transmission planning entities.
TA can include:
- Targeted education to provide foundational knowledge of transmission planning principles so states are prepared to offer meaningful input at every opportunity.
- Tailored consultations with subject matter experts to address a specific need or concern, including:
- Resource archive: Aneasy-to-access compilation of educational resources on FERC Order No. 1920, focused on key transmission planning topics and considerations.
- Help desk: 4 hours of research and/or consultation to orient states on general FERC Order No. 1920 topics, assist with development of applications for Expert Match, Deep Dive, and/or Peer-Sharing Cohorts, and other general support.
- Expert match: 80 hours of research and/or consultation to help states navigate specific FERC Order No. 1920 topics with careful consideration for the implications on a particular state or region.
- Peer-sharing cohorts to provide forums for states to learn from subject matter experts and each other, or to coordinate participation from several states in their relevant planning entity’s stakeholder process. (i.e., development of standardized templates that states can use to provide data in an appropriate format to inform long-term planning scenarios; facilitation support for states to participate in regional transmission planning convenings, etc.). Cohort sessions will be organized around specific topics or compliance regions to explore common questions, needs, and approaches (i.e., public utility commissions, state energy offices, state siting and permitting authorities, state transmission authorities, regional-state committees, etc.)
- In-depth partnerships to address complex technical, economic, market, or other questions using state-of-the-art capabilities at DOE’s national laboratories (i.e., long-term scenario planning, modeling of sensitivities for extreme weather, development and analysis of evaluation and selection criteria, etc.). This includes a Deep Dive TA option that includes 12-18 months of rigorous modeling and/or analysis.
Most TA requests will be accepted on a rolling basis and successful applicants will begin receiving support approximately one month after the application is processed. Deep Dive TA requests will be accepted semi-annually via a short application form, and successful applicants will begin receiving support approximately three months after the application is processed. The application deadline for the initial Deep Dive TA cycle is December 31, 2024.
States are encouraged to contact GDO at transmission@hq.doe.gov if they have questions about how TA offerings can be tailored to meet their needs, as GDO seeks to accommodate a variety of activities related to transmission planning and FERC Order No. 1920.
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