Energy bill quietly exempts transmission projects from environmental review
H.R. 9335 — Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act · Filed by Craig Goldman (R-TX) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 18, 2026 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill directs the Department of Energy to create a public clearinghouse listing advanced transmission technology projects, funding sources, and analyses of their effects on grid efficiency and costs. It also authorizes DOE to provide technical assistance to utilities, grid operators, and state regulators on deploying these technologies and developing regulatory frameworks. Additionally, it exempts DOE funding for advanced transmission technology from environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, and requires DOE to establish wildfire mitigation best practices for transmission lines.
Why we flagged it
The bill's primary function is establishing a DOE clearinghouse and technical assistance program for advanced transmission technology—a straightforward infrastructure-support mechanism. However, the NEPA exemption for transmission funding is a consequential deregulatory rider that bypasses environmental review, which is substantively distinct from the clearinghouse purpose.
- NEPA exemption for DOE transmission funding (Section 2) is unrelated to clearinghouse/technical assistance and removes public environmental review.
- Section 3 wildfire best-practices requirement is tangentially related but operates independently; could have been separate legislation.
What the text implies
- The NEPA exemption (Section 2) allows DOE to fund transmission projects without triggering major federal action review, potentially bypassing environmental impact assessments and public comment periods that would normally apply to large infrastructure projects.
- The clearinghouse and technical assistance provisions may accelerate utility adoption of advanced transmission technologies by reducing information barriers, but without mandatory deployment requirements, uptake depends on utility economics and state regulatory incentives.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
transmission equipment manufacturers; electric utilities (via reduced compliance costs and technical assistance); grid modernization technology vendors