Transmission infrastructure sprawls across the country to deliver electricity from generation sources to the distribution grid. With electricity demand rising, new clean energy sources looking to interconnect and increasingly frequent extreme weather events threatening grid reliability, transmission upgrades and expansion are becoming growing priorities for much of the country. Effective and efficient transmission planning is crucial to ensure the necessary transmission development can be achieved to maintain a reliable grid.
State policymakers can play a vital role in ensuring that a sound regulatory structure is in place to support reliable grid transmission expansions. However, the involvement of various entities across states and regions can make the transmission planning, siting and permitting processes complex. This toolkit provides resources to help state lawmakers develop a better understanding of the current transmission landscape and the various actors involved in the transmission planning process.