Electric Transmission in Transportation Rights of Way

Badger Coulee Line in Wisconsin

This image shows the Badger Coulee line in Wisconsin.

 

American Transmission Company (2019)

JO Logo

Through the sponsorship of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center to explore ways to achieve federal goals for developing electric transmission infrastructure in transportation rights-of-way (ROWs).

The research organizations will examine the current landscape and identify policy, technical, and institutional barriers to transmission related to key state and federal jurisdictions, as well as business and regulatory decision structures.  The final product of the study is a gaps analysis, due in 2025 to the Joint Office.

This study will cover a broad range of transportation infrastructure, including interstate and non-interstate roadways and rail, as well as a range of transmission voltage and current formats. The study aims to lay the foundation for future electric transmission deployment programs, understand impacts to stakeholders, and provide next steps in institutional practices.

What is the relationship between transmission and transportation?

For many stakeholders, the opportunity to co-site transmission in ROWs is crucial for land stewardship and minimizing environmental impact in greenfield areas. Although there are several locations where electric transmission is already deployed along transportation corridors, practical factors limit further development of co-sited projects.

As required by law, the Joint Office is exploring the potential for placing high-voltage direct current and medium-voltage electric transmission lines within the ROW of the Interstate System. Additionally, the Department of Energy has invested in several initiatives, including a National Transmission Planning Study, a National Transmission Needs Study, and the designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors. These initiatives aim to assess national transmission requirements to achieve federal goals in clean energy, resilience, and reliability, while also accelerating the deployment of necessary transmission infrastructure. These studies broadly consider ROWs as potential corridors for future transmission projects.

In 2021, the Federal Highway Administration released a memo clarifying policies that allow state departments of transportation to utilize their ROWs for alternative uses, such as electric transmission, electric vehicle charging, broadband, renewable energy generation, and biological sequestration. The memo indicates that co-located electric transmission can be considered a utility accommodation where state regulations permit, or as an alternative use of the ROW under 23 CFR 1.23 and 23 CFR 710 where applicable. The Federal Highway Administration has determined that transmission projects are in the public interest and therefore qualify as eligible non-highway alternative uses of highway ROWs.

Next steps

Volpe Center and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will be conducting stakeholder outreach and interviews in support of the gaps analysis.

Contact information

  • Amy Plovnick, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Rebecca O’Neil, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory