FERC complaint could curb transmission competition
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- FERC is hearing a complaint that seeks to limit or suspend competition among companies building new transmission in parts of the Midwest and Plains.
- National Grid Ventures US president Will Hazelip argues that competition is essential for accelerating transmission development and that limiting it would reduce private capital and innovation.
- Electricity demand in the United States is rising faster than in decades due to data centers and domestic manufacturing, accelerating electrification.
- Transmission delays are primarily caused by permitting challenges, siting constraints, supply chain limitations, and bureaucratic processes, not by competition.
- Policymakers and regulators should focus on streamlining permitting, improving regional coordination, and enabling both incumbent utilities and competitive entrants to move projects forward efficiently.
Why it matters: Limiting competition would concentrate transmission development among a few incumbents, reducing private capital, innovation, and cost pressure, while increasing long‑term consumer costs and slowing grid reliability. In contrast, preserving competition leverages additional private investment and technology to meet rising electricity demand.
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