Trump Administration Cancels Biden-Era Power Line Corridors

The U.S. Department of Energy canceled a Biden-era initiative designed to accelerate the construction of power lines across several states. The agency announced it will not designate three specific areas—covering parts of Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and the Dakotas—as National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.

This designation would have granted federal regulators the authority to issue permits for power line construction in instances where state governments delayed or denied permission. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the decision, stating that transmission policy must serve the American people rather than a "climate-alarmist agenda" that he claims increases costs and harms grid reliability.

Environmental advocates, including the League of Conservation Voters, criticized the move. Matthew Davis, the group's vice president of federal policy, argued that canceling the corridors threatens billions of dollars in investments and tens of thousands of jobs while hindering the integration of renewable energy into the national electric grid.