Bill > S1217

This bill, titled the Electric Transmission Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Act, aims to streamline the process for building and maintaining electric transmission infrastructure by establishing an Interagency Rapid Response Team for Transmission and an Office of Transmission Ombudsperson. The Team will bring together representatives from various federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Environmental Protection Agency, to coordinate environmental reviews, set clear timelines for project approvals, and track project progress on a system called e-Trans. The Ombudsperson, housed within FERC, will serve as a single point of contact to resolve interagency delays and handle complaints from applicants experiencing issues with their transmission infrastructure permits, with a particular focus on facilitating maintenance and repairs. Additionally, the bill amends existing law to prevent federal agencies from changing the use of rights-of-way reserved for electric transmission systems without the agreement of the agency that initially reserved it.