[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 92 (Friday, May 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40477-40479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10251]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability of Preliminary List of Potential National 
Interest Electric Transmission Corridors; Request for Comments

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability of preliminary list; request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of 
availability of the preliminary list of potential National Interest 
Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs). This issuance initiates Phase 
2 of the NIETC designation process outlined in the guidance DOE 
released on December 19, 2023. NIETC designation focuses public and 
policymaker attention on the areas of greatest transmission need and 
unlocks valuable Federal financing and permitting tools to advance 
transmission development. Additional information on one of those 
tools--Transmission Facility Financing--is also included with the 
preliminary list.

DATES: Interested parties may submit comments on the preliminary list 
of potential NIETCs and information and recommendations focused on 
those potential NIETCs based on the list of information requested for 
Phase 2 in the NIETC Guidance by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 24, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gretchen Kershaw, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Grid Deployment Office, at (202) 586-2006; or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE's Grid Deployment Office (GDO) is 
announcing the availability of the Initiation of Phase 2 of National 
Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) Designation Process: 
Preliminary List of Potential NIETCs. Section 216(a)(2) of

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the Federal Power Act (FPA), as amended by section 40105 of the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), requires DOE to issue a 
report not less frequently than once every three years, which may 
designate as a NIETC any geographic area that is experiencing or is 
expected to experience electric energy transmission capacity 
constraints or congestion that adversely affects consumers. DOE must 
base any NIETC designation on the findings of DOE's triennial 
nationwide study required by FPA section 216(a)(1), which DOE refers to 
as the National Transmission Needs Study (Needs Study), or other 
information relating to electric energy transmission capacity 
constraints or congestion. In addition, the FPA requires DOE to 
consider alternatives and recommendations from interested parties 
(including an opportunity for comment from affected States and Indian 
Tribes) and to consult with regional entities when designating a NIETC. 
FPA section 216(a)(4) allows DOE to also consider several additional 
factors in designating a NIETC.
    On December 19, 2023, DOE released final guidance (NIETC Guidance) 
that describes DOE's intended implementation of this statutory 
authority and initiated the process for designating one or more NIETCs 
following issuance of the Needs Study released in October 2023. The 
NIETC Guidance sets forth a four-phase process, which begins with DOE 
evaluating the results of the most recent Needs Study to begin 
identifying potential geographic areas for NIETC designation and 
concurrent 45-day Phase 1 information submission window. During this 
window, interested parties may submit information and recommendations 
on the narrow geographic boundaries of potential NIETCs, the present or 
expected transmission capacity constraints or congestion within those 
geographic boundaries, and the relevant discretionary factors in FPA 
section 216(a)(4). For this iteration of the NIETC designation process, 
that window opened with issuance of the final guidance on December 19, 
2023, and closed on February 2, 2024.
    Phase 2 of the NIETC designation process begins with DOE's issuance 
of a preliminary list of potential NIETCs, which is the subject of this 
notice. The preliminary list identifies which potential NIETCs DOE is 
continuing to consider, provides a high-level explanation of the basis 
for those potential NIETCs, and opens a public comment period to gather 
information specific to the listed potential NIETCs. DOE may narrow the 
list of potential NIETCs as the designation process proceeds to Phase 
3. DOE plans to prioritize which potential NIETCs move to Phase 3 based 
on the available information on geographic boundaries and potential 
impacts on environmental, community, and other resources and 
preliminary review of comments. During Phase 3, DOE continues to 
independently assess the basis for NIETC designation, initiates any 
needed environmental reviews, and conducts robust public engagement, 
culminating in the release of one or more draft designation reports and 
draft environmental documents, as needed, for public comment. Phase 4 
is the conclusion of the NIETC designation process, with issuance of 
one or more final designation reports and final environmental 
documents, as needed.
    The preliminary list of potential NIETCs was informed by numerous 
Phase 1 information submissions and recommendations from interested 
parties and DOE's internal preliminary analysis of known possible 
environmental, community, and other resource impacts. DOE preliminarily 
finds that the geographic areas depicted in the preliminary list of 
potential NIETCs constitute targeted, high-priority areas where NIETC 
designation is likely to catalyze transmission development to alleviate 
transmission capacity constraints or congestion and the associated 
adverse effects on consumers, thereby making the most efficient and 
effective use of DOE's resources. DOE intends to employ NIETC 
designation in one or more of these geographic areas to further the 
timely buildout of a reliable, resilient, and efficient transmission 
system that facilitates the achievement of national energy policy goals 
while reducing consumer energy costs.
    During the 45-day comment period on the preliminary list of 
potential NIETCs, DOE invites interested parties to comment on the 
information contained within the preliminary list of potential NIETCs. 
This includes commenting on the present or expected transmission 
capacity constraints or congestion relevant to the potential NIETCs in 
the preliminary list as well as the adverse effects on consumers 
resulting therefrom (i.e., the consumer harms resulting from inadequate 
transmission within the potential NIETCs).
    In addition, DOE invites interested parties to submit further 
information on the thirteen resource report categories listed in the 
NIETC Guidance for Phase 2: (1) geographic boundaries; (2) water use 
and quality; (3) fish, wildlife, and vegetation; (4) cultural 
resources; (5) socioeconomics; (6) Tribal resources; (7) communities of 
interest; (8) geological resources; (9) soils; (10) land use, 
recreation, and aesthetics; (11) air quality and environmental noise; 
(12) alternatives; and (13) reliability and safety. The Phase 2 
information submission window is focused on gathering additional 
information on geographic boundaries and potential impacts on 
environmental, community, and other resources to facilitate DOE's 
environmental review, which starts in Phase 3. Interested parties may 
submit information related to one or more of the thirteen categories 
listed.
    NIETC designation focuses public and policymaker attention on the 
areas of greatest transmission need and unlocks valuable federal 
financing and permitting tools to advance transmission development. 
These include DOE authorities under the IIJA, the Inflation Reduction 
Act, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission's permitting authority under FPA section 216(b). 
Additional information on one of those tools--Transmission Facility 
Financing--is included with the preliminary list of potential NIETCs, 
including eligibility criteria. DOE invites input on the scope of 
eligible projects, as explained further in the document.
    Members of the public can visit GDO's website to access the 
preliminary list of potential NIETCs at: https://www.energy.gov/gdo/national-interest-electric-transmission-corridor-designation-process. 
Additionally, the NIETC Guidance remains available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/2023-12-15%20GDO%20NIETC%20Final%20Guidance%20Document.Vpdf.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on May 7, 
2024, by Maria D. Robinson, pursuant to delegated authority from the 
Secretary of Energy. That document with the original signature and date 
is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in 
compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. The administrative 
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon 
publication in the Federal Register.


[[Page 40479]]


    Signed in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-10251 Filed 5-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P