Boozman and Womack Highlight Need for APPROVAL Act during House Committee on Natural Resources Hearing

Press Release

U.S. Senator John Boozman and Congressman Steve Womack today delivered statements about the importance of the Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Areas to Land (APPROVAL) Act before Congressman Bruce Westerman and members of the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.

The APPROVAL Act would restore states' rights to approve or reject an electric transmission project prior to the federal government exercising its power to take private property. The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to obtain the approval of both the governor and the state's public service commission before approving any Section 1222 transmission project and subsequent use of federal eminent domain, as well as the approval of any tribal government for affected lands. Boozman and Womack introduced the legislation earlier this year with the full support of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation.

"The APPROVAL Act will reinforce and build grassroots support for renewable energy. States and local communities must know their voices will be heard in the transmission siting process -- and that a transparent process will be followed. When communities have this assurance, they can get behind the renewable projects that our country needs. Unfortunately, due to the current structure of Section 1222, support for such projects has been set-back in Arkansas by a sense that a federal agency may force a transmission project for which there is no clear demand or demonstrated need," Boozman told subcommittee members.
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Click here to read Boozman's full statement. Watch video of Boozman's testimony here.

"Initially, [Clean Line Energy] was denied a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to exist as a utility in the state of Arkansas by the Public Utility Commission, because the project was determined not to be in the best interest of Arkansans. As a result, DOE is in the process of considering a new type of partnership, potentially usurping the state's role, ignoring the lack of necessity for transmission in the region, and setting a dangerous precedent for the future of federal authority... [The APPROVAL Act] makes a small adjustment to the approval proceedings for interstate transmission projects which will then allow governors and state public service commissions to have a say in the process prior to DOE exercising any federal eminent domain power," Womack said in his statement.

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