PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-65.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 21, 2015
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to declare U.S. policy regarding the national interstate electricity transmission system, and to ensure that high-priority regional transmission (HPRT) projects are in the public interest.
The bill prohibits a project developer from seeking a certificate for construction without first seeking authorization under applicable state law.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may authorize HPRT project construction found to be required by public convenience and necessity if the state:
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
fails to approve the project,
rejects the project application,
has no authority to approve the project siting, or
authorizes the project subject to conditions that unreasonably interfere with an HPRT project.
FERC is designated the lead agency to coordinate both federal authorizations and related environmental reviews for an HPRT project.
FERC shall: (1) coordinate the federal authorization and related environmental review process with any Indian tribe, multistate entity, or state agency responsible for separate permitting or environmental review of a project; and (2) ensure timely and efficient review and permit decisions.
FERC must incorporate into the certificate certain mitigation measures recommended by federal and state agencies, including affected Indian tribes.
Excludes from coverage by this Act Alaska, Hawaii, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
People & committees
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] · D–NM
Legislative record
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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-65.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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