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handle is hein.crs/goveipd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: *   Congressional                                                    ____
Research Service
Electricity Transmission Provisions in the
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
Updated August 23, 2022
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law P.L. 117-169, commonly known as the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). The IRA contains several provisions aimed at incentivizing increased
development of electricity transmission infrastructure in the United States. Many stakeholders view an
enhanced U.S. transmission system as key to enabling increased use of wind and solar energy for
electricity generation and improving resilience to extreme weather events such as Winter Storm Uri. This
analysis summarizes the three transmission provisions in Part 5 of Subtitle A of Title V of the law. In total,
this part would appropriate almost $2.9 billion for transmission provisions. Other provisions in the IRA,
such as those related to loan programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, could
potentially incentivize transmission development, but this analysis does not include them.
Section 50151 (Transmission Facility Financing) would appropriate $2 billion to remain available until
September 30, 2030, for a direct loan program for certain transmission project development. To be
eligible for a direct loan, a transmission project would need to be located in a National Interest Electric
Transmission Corridor (NIETC). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) may designate an area as an
NIETC pursuant to 16 U.S.C. @824p if it meets certain criteria, such as promoting energy security or
enabling the use of intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar. No NIETCs currently exist. Absent
an NIETC designation, the appropriations this section would provide may not be accessible to industry
participants. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58) amended the NIETC
designation process, but it remains unclear to what extent DOE will use its authority to designate
NIETCs.
Section 50152 (Grants to Facilitate the Siting of Interstate Electricity Transmission Lines) would
appropriate $760 million to remain available through September 30, 2029, for making grants aimed at
facilitating the siting of certain onshore and offshore transmission lines. In general, state and local
governments have authority for siting electricity transmission infrastructure in the United States. This
section would allow relevant siting authorities to receive grants to be used for purposes including
transmission project studies, examination of alternative siting corridors, hosting negotiations with project
backers and opponents, participating in federal and state regulatory proceedings, and promoting economic
development in affected communities. Grants under this section would be contingent on the siting
authority agreeing to make a final decision (approval or denial) on the transmission project within two
years. The bill does not specify consequences should the siting authority fail to make a final decision.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports. congress.gov
IN11981
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

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