Legalectric

Yes, it’s true, the DOE has proposed TEN new NIETC Corridors, and comments are open until June 24, 2024.

Phase 2 

Submit your comments and recommendations on the preliminary list by 5 p.m. ET on June 24, 2024.

Send comments to: NIETC@hq.doe.gov

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND GET TO WORK!

It’s now in Phase 2:

Here’s the NIETC page to get caught up on their plan

DOE’s NIETC PAGE

And this with some narrative & specifics: NIETC Phase 2 Preliminary List Public Release Document and here’s an example of one:

Here’s a bizarre statement to justify that Colorado-New Mexico corridor — claim of a1,200% increase? Have they forgotten those 11,000MW of mothballed natural gas generation and the transmission that serves it?

Under scenarios with moderate load growth and high clean energy growth future scenarios, ERCOT will need an anticipated median increase of 9.8 GW of additional transfer capacity with the Plains region by
2035, a 1,200% increase relative to the 2020 system (p. 35).

And paired with this, pages later, 31 pages later (p. 66), a scenic tour down Hwy 54?

And does this look familiar — have a Grain Belt anyone?

Yes, looks too much like the ol’ Grain Belt Transmission Line:

And this one looks too familiar too, shades of Plains & Eastern:

As if all these transmission projects in Minnesota weren’t enough… weren’t too much already?!??!