Angus King Criticizes Decades-Long Power Line Approval Process

Unacceptable Delays in Infrastructure Projects

• ⚡ Senator Angus King calls the 18-year approval process for transmission lines "unacceptable," especially in the current era.
• ⏳ He questions whether time limits and step limitations should be implemented to ensure a foreseeable end to these lengthy processes.

Need for Specificity in Legislation

• 📜 The issue of "regulatory whiplash" is highlighted, stemming from Congress not being specific enough in legislation.
• 🏛️ This lack of specificity grants excessive discretion to administrations, leading to policy reversals with each change.
• ✍️ There's a call for Congress to be more specific in laws like FIPMA, clearly defining criteria rather than abdicating responsibility to the executive branch.

Improving Section 202 Guidance

• 🗺️ Section 202 of a 71-page law provides only about two pages of guidance for 245 million acres of land.
• 🤝 The current guidance emphasizes coordinating with state, local, and tribal governments, using their planning efforts, and prioritizing areas of critical environmental concern.
• 🛠️ Much of the subsequent process has been shaped by rules and internal guidance from agencies like the BLM, leading to a lack of clear boundaries and potential executive overreach.

Seeking Solutions for Timely and Predictable Policy

• 🎯 Suggestions are sought on how Section 202 could be amended to narrow criteria and increase specificity.
• 📈 The goal is to achieve more timely, predictable, and resilient policy outcomes by providing better guidance through definitive laws.
• ❓ The committee is asking for homework from witnesses to suggest legislative amendments that would improve the process and reduce uncertainty.