HR5600-119

What This Bill Does

The SPEED and Reliability Act of 2025 revises federal backstop permitting for electric transmission facilities. It defines improved reliability through mandatory reliability standards, expected unserved energy, loss-of-load measures, resource adequacy, and outage-risk reduction, and defines landowner input as input from affected landowners such as farmers and ranchers after notice and consultation. FERC must, after notice, hearing, and a public comment period of at least 60 days, issue permits for construction or modification of national-interest transmission facilities when the statutory findings are met. Those findings include use for interstate or foreign transmission, public interest, significant reduction of transmission congestion, consumer protection or benefit, improved reliability, sound national energy policy, energy independence, at least 100-kV capability or advanced-conductor voltage approved by FERC, and reasonable/economic maximization of existing towers, structures, or rights-of-way for modifications such as reconductoring. FERC must give affected states, federal agencies, Indian tribes, private property owners, and other interested persons a chance to present views and recommendations, and must take landowner input into account. The bill revises eminent-domain procedure to use Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 71.1, requires cost-allocation tariffs for permitted facilities based on cost causation and benefits such as improved reliability, reduced congestion, reduced losses, greater capacity, reduced reserves, or lower-cost generation, and protects customers that receive no or trivial benefit from involuntary cost allocation. It makes FERC the lead agency for permitted facilities and Interior the lead agency for facilities on Outer Continental Shelf leases, easements, or rights-of-way. It excludes ERCOT utilities, preserves retail and local distribution jurisdiction, and removes national-interest corridor language from several related transmission programs.

Who Benefits and How

Electric transmission developers benefit because FERC permitting standards and lead-agency rules become clearer for national-interest projects. Customers facing congestion benefit when qualifying projects reduce congestion, improve reliability, lower power losses, or increase access to lower-cost generation. Advanced conductor manufacturers benefit because facilities using advanced conductors can qualify at voltages FERC determines appropriate. Offshore transmission developers benefit because Outer Continental Shelf transmission can be eligible for cost allocation when statutory findings are met.

Who Bears the Burden and How

FERC permitting staff must run notice, hearing, comment, consultation, landowner-input, lead-agency, and cost-allocation processes. Affected landowners such as farmers and ranchers must monitor FERC notices and provide input to protect property interests. Transmitting utilities must file tariffs or revisions allocating project costs to benefiting customers under cost-causation principles. State siting agencies lose some control where FERC has authority to issue national-interest permits.

Key Provisions

• Requires FERC national-interest transmission permits when interstate, public-interest, congestion, reliability, energy-policy, voltage, and reconductoring findings are met.
• Requires at least 60 days of public comment and opportunities for states, agencies, tribes, property owners, and interested persons to present views.
• Requires FERC to take landowner input from affected farmers, ranchers, and other landowners into account.
• Provides cost allocation only to customers that benefit, with protection against involuntary allocation for no or trivial benefit.
• Establishes FERC or Interior lead-agency roles and preserves ERCOT, retail sales, and local distribution exclusions.