Letter to Ernest Moniz, Secretary of the Department of Energy - Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Project

Letter

Dear Secretary Moniz:

We strongly urge you to extend the comment period regarding the Department of Energy's Non-NEPA Review for the Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Project by at least 60 days so that our constituents will have an adequate opportunity to share their views and/or concerns.

The current comment period is scheduled to end on June 12, and the opportunity to participate has not been effectively communicated to many impacted stakeholders. Furthermore, the Department has invited public comments on highly complicated issues, such as the project's technical and financial feasibility and whether the project is in the public interest. The 45-day comment period has proven inadequate.

Also, the Department is engaged in a new process that justifies a deliberative and thorough review, with greater transparency and public participation. Although Section 1222 was enacted a decade ago, the Department has not yet used this authority to design, develop, construct or operate transmission facilities, nor has the Department participated with other entities in doing so. Also, according to the Department, "the purpose of the program is to reduce electric transmission congestion and/or increase electric transmission capacity." However, the proposed route for the pending application is located in neither a Federal Power Act section 216(a) a designated congestion area nor a national interest electric transmission corridor. Due to these concerns, we strongly believe that the Department has a responsibility to be tremendously thorough, transparent, and deliberative.

Again, we strongly urge you to provide at least a 60-day extension of the comment period on the non-NEPA review for the Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Project, and we ask that you intensify your efforts to keep our offices fully informed as the Department's review of this project continues.

We look forward to your response, and please let us know any time we can be helpful.