DOE Opens 60-Day Comment Period on Draft National Transmission Study
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a draft national study of transmission needs and opened a 60-day public comment and consultation period on how the country should expand and modernize its electric grid.
DOE released the draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study on July 9, 2026. Comments are due September 7, 2026.
The study is intended to examine the transmission system at a national level as electricity demand changes. DOE says the existing grid must accommodate load growth from hyperscale artificial-intelligence data centers and domestic manufacturing, while also supporting the integration of coal, gas and nuclear generation and accelerating the electrification of buildings and transportation.
What the study is examining
Transmission lines and related infrastructure connect power generation with the areas where electricity is used. The draft study focuses on the needs created by several changes occurring at the same time: growth in large data centers, expanded domestic manufacturing, new firm generation and the shift toward electric buildings and transportation.
Hyperscale AI data centers are a central part of DOE’s explanation for why transmission needs are being assessed now. The department also identifies manufacturing growth as a source of additional demand. Those needs are considered alongside questions about integrating coal, gas and nuclear generation into the broader power system.
DOE’s description also links transmission planning to reliability and security. The department says the system must be able to support changing patterns of electricity use while maintaining those objectives.
States, Tribes and regional entities will be consulted
The process is not limited to written comments from the general public. DOE says states, Tribes and regional transmission entities will receive consultation drafts as part of the review.
That consultation structure gives regional participants a formal role in responding to a national assessment of transmission needs. The public comment period and consultations will continue through the September 7 deadline.
The Office of Electricity issued the assessment as a national transmission study. Its scope is broader than a single utility territory or individual transmission project, covering needs across the United States.
Why the timing matters
The draft arrives as federal energy officials are also assessing electric-system reliability risks. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2026 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment identifies extreme heat and weather-related risks for the 2026 summer period.
That reliability context helps explain the practical importance of transmission planning. A national assessment can inform how officials and regional entities consider the ability of the grid to handle rising demand and changing generation while maintaining reliable service and security.
The DOE study is a draft, not a final transmission plan. The release begins a period for public comment and consultation; it does not by itself approve specific transmission projects or establish final federal action.
What happens next
Individuals and organizations can submit comments through the process before September 7, 2026. States, Tribes and regional transmission entities will participate through the consultation process, with drafts provided to them for review.
After the comment and consultation period, DOE is expected to consider the input as it develops the study. Final findings and any resulting federal action have not yet been issued.
Sources
- DOE’s Office of Electricity Publishes 2026 Draft National Transmission Needs Study, U.S. Department of Energy
- National Transmission Needs Study, U.S. Department of Energy
- 2026 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
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