The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity and Energy Reliability has built upon its ongoing effort to reflect the Obama Administration’s commitment to improving the resiliency, reliability, and security of the nation’s electricity delivery system by announcing the publication of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Integrated Interagency Pre-Application Process (IIP) on electric grid transmission.

The IIP is intended to provide a roadmap and encourage early coordination between electric grid transmission project proponents and permitting agencies on transmission projects.  The IIP process, as proposed, is designed to improve interagency and intergovernmental coordination, to encourage early engagement with stakeholders, and to help ensure Project Proponents develop and submit accurate and complete information early in the project planning process.

The issuance of the IIP meets a goal of DOE, and more broadly the Obama Administration, to modernize the electric grid and make the electric grid transmission process more efficient and was required by a June 7, 2013 Presidential Memorandum. Specifically, on June 7, 2013, a Presidential Memorandum titled, “Transforming our Nation's Electric Grid through Improved Siting, Permitting, and Review,” was issued to address several transmission permitting issues.  This Presidential Memorandum directed federal agencies to create an integrated interagency pre-application (IIP) process across the federal government to help identify and address issues before formal permit application processes begin, and to improve the coordination of permitting across federal, state and tribal governments.

More information about the IIP and the opportunity to provide public comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available at http://www.Regulations.gov.