DOE opens 60-day comment window on draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study

The Department of Energy (DOE) has opened a 60-day public comment period on its draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study, a required federal assessment of where the power grid’s transmission capacity could face constraints and congestion problems. The comment window closes September 7, 2026.

What DOE released—and why this study exists

DOE’s Office of Electricity published the draft study for comment on July 9, 2026. The study is required under the Federal Power Act (FPA) and is formally known as the National Electric Transmission Congestion Study.

In DOE’s framing, the National Transmission Needs Study is meant to inform transmission planning and investment discussions—but it is not itself an approval for any specific project.

Timeline readers can act on

• July 9, 2026: DOE released the draft study for public comment.
• September 7, 2026: The 60-day public comment and consultation period closes.

DOE directs public feedback to NeedsStudy.Comments@hq.doe.gov.

What the study measures in plain language

DOE describes the draft as an assessment that draws on existing data plus current and near-term future transmission needs. DOE says it uses publicly available information and more than 120 recently published reports.

DOE focuses on two related grid problems:

• Transmission capacity constraints that can limit how much power can move across the network.
• Transmission congestion, which can drive higher costs when real-world grid operations don’t align with how power is scheduled or priced.

DOE says the majority of transmission congestion is concentrated in 5% of the hours, often during times with significant day-ahead to real-time market price variance, high net load, cold weather, and high intermittent generation.

Regions DOE flags as having high potential for congestion relief

In its summary of key findings, DOE highlights several areas where it believes new transmission could relieve high congestion costs:

• Within-region transmission: DOE points to New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), NorthernGrid South, and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) as showing the highest potential for new within-region transmission.
• Interregional transmission: DOE cites cross-interconnection examples using locational marginal prices—such as links between the Western Interconnection (West Connect) and the Eastern Interconnection (Southwest Power Pool)—and interregional links particularly between NorthernGrid and WestConnect, and between ISO New England (ISO-NE) and NYISO.
• Where large portfolios are already moving: DOE also notes that regional transmission entities are approving large transmission portfolios in anticipation of transmission needs, naming MISO, Southwest Power Pool (SPP), PJM Interconnection (PJM), and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Why your comment could matter (and what it can’t do)

DOE says it will review comments received and incorporate them into the final study as appropriate. Practically, that means public feedback can potentially influence how DOE updates its analysis and conclusions in the final version.

But it’s important to separate study influence from project outcomes: DOE emphasizes that the Needs Study is not intended to displace existing transmission planning processes and is not intended to identify specific transmission solutions on its own.

How this connects to federal transmission siting

DOE’s Needs Study also fits into a broader federal framework for electric transmission siting. FERC explains that the FPA directs DOE to study transmission congestion and authorizes DOE to designate National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors under certain circumstances, and that FERC can then issue permits for certain transmission facilities located within those corridors under defined conditions.

So, the key point for readers: the Needs Study is a planning signal, while siting/permitting decisions follow separate processes.

What to watch next

After the comment window closes on September 7, 2026, DOE will move toward a final version of the National Transmission Needs Study. If you live in (or track) the regions DOE flags as having high potential, this comment period can be a rare chance to raise evidence and concerns about local constraints and congestion drivers.

Then watch for follow-on utility planning, regulatory discussions, and any federal corridor-related proceedings that use the final study’s findings as an input.

Sources

• DOE Office of Electricity: 2026 draft National Transmission Needs Study announcement
• FERC: Electric Transmission Siting (National Corridors / federal permit role)

Related News

• Eleventh Circuit rejects Florida ‘salary-for-speech,’ keeps Stop WOKE block
• EPA opens comment on draft TSCA peer-review documents for five chemicals
• FDA recall: Ola-Ola pounded yam pulled over undeclared milk allergen risk
• FEMA election-security grant terms: 20% drawdown holdback until proof