A lack of electric transmission is harming or may soon harm households and businesses across the country

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a preliminary list of 10 potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) to accelerate the development of transmission projects in areas that have an urgent need for expanded transmission. DOE is now seeking public input on the process. 

“As America’s energy needs grow, the backbone of the energy system needs to grow with it,” said Verna Mandez, Director of Advanced Energy United’s transmission program. “Transmission is how we get affordable electricity from where it’s made to where it’s needed so we can keep the lights on and lower energy bills.” 

The NIETC program is designed to identify where consumers are being harmed by a lack of transmission and to direct federal resources to prioritize the building of interstate transmission in those locations.  

“State leaders need to speak up about the need for transmission that crosses state lines,” added Mandez. “Communities benefit from being able to more easily get low-cost electricity from outside the state when they need it and also benefit from being able to more easily deliver electricity to other communities in need.” 

The latest federal projections announced today from the Energy Information Association (EIA) show most electricity supply in the U.S. will come from renewable sources like large-scale solar and wind. The DOE National Transmission Needs Study estimates that by 2035, the U.S. must more than double the existing regional transmission capacity and expand existing interregional transmission capacity by more than fivefold.

Advanced Energy United leads a coalition called Transmission Possible, which provides nonpartisan resources to educate the public about how transmission works and why it’s so critical to keeping the lights on.

Click here to learn more about Advanced Energy United's work advocating for the build-out of electric transmission in the U.S.