DOE Transmission Facilitation Program Backs Three Major Lines
DOE agreed to finance three high-voltage lines through the Transmission Facilitation Program, advancing 3.5 GW of capacity across the West and New England.
Executive briefing: On October 30, 2023 the U.S. Department of Energy announced $1.3 billion in Transmission Facilitation Program agreements for the Cross-Tie 500 kV line (Utah–Nevada), the Southline Transmission Project (New Mexico–Arizona), and the Twin States Clean Energy Link (Maine–New Hampshire). DOE’s support packages include capacity contracts and financing tools to push each project through permitting and construction.
Key policy signals
- Regional impact. Cross-Tie unlocks bi-directional transfers between the Rocky Mountain and desert Southwest systems, Southline modernizes a 600-mile corridor critical to integrating renewables, and Twin States delivers Canadian hydropower and offshore wind into ISO-NE.
- Federal leverage. DOE will buy up to 50% of each project’s capacity to attract private capital, repaying the Treasury once the lines reach commercial operation.
- Community benefits. Each agreement requires community benefits plans covering Tribal consultation, workforce development, and environmental mitigation.
Control alignment
- Load siting. Revisit siting assumptions for energy-intensive projects in the Intermountain West, desert Southwest, and New England that depend on firm transmission imports.
- Supply contracts. Engage developers on long-term capacity reservations made possible by DOE’s capacity contracting authority.
- ESG reporting. Capture DOE community benefit metrics within sustainability disclosures for projects relying on the new lines.
Action checklist
- Evaluate how the Transmission Facilitation Program deals alter congestion assumptions in resource plans.
- Coordinate with regional grid operators on interconnection timeline updates tied to the federally backed projects.
- Prepare to align corporate community benefit agreements with DOE’s required templates when partnering on project financing.
Sources
- DOE Grid Deployment Office — $1.3 Billion to Support Critical Transmission Projects (October 30, 2023)
- DOE Transmission Facilitation Program Overview
Zeph Tech helps infrastructure owners structure partnerships with DOE to accelerate transmission builds and downstream facility planning.