Evidence-Based Recommendations for Overcoming Barriers to Federal Transmission Permitting

This report establishes a comprehensive evidentiary record of permitting challenges faced by electric transmission projects and offers fact-based insights into:

• What prevents the transmission buildout needed to achieve federal and state policy goals;
• The levels (federal, state, local) and/or nexuses (e.g., developer-community relations) at which transmission permitting faces critical hurdles; and
• Concrete opportunities to improve transmission permitting while preserving and bolstering protections of vulnerable communities and the environment.

This report is the culmination of a year-long investigation conducted by the Niskanen Center and Clean Air Task Force. We compiled a database, conducted in-depth case studies of permitting for identified transmission projects, and convened an advisory group to help guide and shape our work. In addition to in-depth case studies and data analysis, the Niskanen Center and Clean Air Task Force conducted numerous interviews with transmission line developers, industry consultants, and government officials to inform this report.

This endeavor yielded critical insights, culminating in a set of recommendations that would address the identified challenges, discussed in the report below.