Rail and Highway Transmission Planning Act

This bill directs the Secretary of Energy, working with the Secretary of Transportation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and relevant National Laboratories, to study using highway and rail rights-of-way as places to build high-voltage power transmission lines. The study would review past and current projects, identify suitable rights-of-way, compare costs and benefits with building on other land, and look at effects on the environment, railroad operations, and nearby communities. The Secretary would also create an interagency action plan and resources for governments, utilities, and railroads. Results would be posted on a public Department of Energy website as each part is finished, with a full report to Congress due within 3 years.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Kevin Mullin Democrat sponsor
• 3 cosponsors