(Washington, D.C.) On June 13, ACEG submitted comments on the Department of Energy’s Notice of Intent and Request for Information regarding the establishment of a Transmission Facilitation Program (Reference No. 2022-10137). ACEG commends Congress for including the TFP in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) and DOE for acting swiftly to implement the program. The IIJA authorizes the DOE to develop and implement a TFP to assist eligible entities with the construction of new, replacement, and upgraded high-capacity transmission lines through the following three financial mechanisms: capacity contracts, loans, and public-private partnerships. In its Notice, DOE proposes to limit its initial solicitation to capacity contracts. ACEG supports DOE’s proposed limitation as generally projects seeking such contracts are moving closer to their end stages of development, and are therefore more likely to come to fruition.
ACEG also generally supports the direction DOE is taking in its Notice with respect to other program specifics but offers some general comments and responses to a few select questions raised in the Notice to assist DOE with finalizing implementation details. Our general comments include that DOE should clarify the intersection of the TFP program with other federal programs and acts, and support for the optimization of TFP funds and transparency regarding the use of funds.
ACEG hopes DOE considers and incorporates the recommendations provided within our comments when setting forth the next steps of the TFP program. To view the full set of comments, click here.
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ACEG Submits Comments on the DOE Notice Regarding the Transmission Facilitation Program