(NAFB) The U.S. Department of Energy has stopped a Biden-era process that could have led to the creation of three National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors across roughly a half a dozen states. The corridors were proposed as part of broader efforts to lower the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
During a recent announcement in Pierre, South Dakota, Deputy Under Secretary of Energy Mike Kopp said the Trump administration is taking a different approach to energy policy.
“The prior administration focused its efforts on decarbonization. Its energy policy was fundamentally one of subtraction. By contrast, President Trump and Secretary Wright are focused on a policy of energy addition, energy affordability, energy reliability, and energy security. Under President Trump’s and Secretary Wright’s leadership, the Department of Energy’s agenda is to unleash American energy dominance and to strengthen the electric grid of the United States by promoting common sense policies that prioritize delivering affordable, reliable, and secure energy to American families and businesses.”
Kopp said expanding energy production and strengthening grid reliability should take precedence over policies centered primarily on emissions reduction.
“Secreaty Wright noted the following, and I quote: extensive review, including public feedback and stakeholder input made clear that the current designation process for these three proposed corridors should not continue. The Department of Energy will instead recalibrate its efforts related to NIETC to align with the Trump administration’s policies focusing again on ensuring affordable, reliable, and secure energy.”
The proposed Tribal Energy Access Corridor – one of the three NIETCs would have stretched across central South Dakota, while also extending into portions of North Dakota and Nebraska.
South Dakota Farm Bureau submitted comments opposing the proposal. President Scott VanderWal, who also serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said protecting private property rights was a major concern.
“The reason we oppose this was because these designations are unnecessary and hinder South Dakota’s landowners. The existing regulatory framework that we have was designed to serve transmission developers, impacted landowners, government stripes, and other stakeholders. The South Dakota PUC has handled their responsibilities very well and they’ve permitted multiple transmission lines, have not impeded development, and encourages participation for all impacted parties and landowners, and that’s the big thing for us. Replacing the PUC’s regulatory process with fast track approach for a specific project should undermine longstanding protections for impacted parties.”
While announcing the cancellation of the proposed corridors, Kopp emphasized that the department still views transmission improvements as a priority.
“And I would like to make this clear: the department is fully committed to modernizing transmission planning and citing processes to reduce confusion, improve efficiencies, and better align with state and local goals.”
The other two proposed corridors that were withdrawn were the Lake Erie-Canada Corridor and the Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor.
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Audio provided by Jody Heemstra, KGFX, Pierre, South Dakota
Audio with Mike Kopp, Deputy Under Secretary of Energy and South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal
