DOE opens 60-day review of national transmission needs as grid congestion and large-load demand grow

The Department of Energy on July 10 released a draft national assessment of U.S. transmission needs and opened a 60-day public-comment period, beginning a review that could influence how federal and regional planners respond to growing electricity demand and grid congestion.

The draft 2026 National Transmission Needs Study, issued by DOE’s Office of Electricity, examines high-impact transmission needs along with current and anticipated constraints and congestion across the national electric-transmission system. The study is required under the Federal Power Act.

DOE is seeking input from states, Tribal Nations, communities and regional reliability entities before it finalizes the assessment. The department also planned in-person roundtables during summer 2026 to give those groups an additional opportunity to participate.

Why the review matters

Transmission lines move electricity between power plants, communities and regional grids. The review comes as the electricity system faces new and expanding demands from data centers, manufacturing and broader electrification, according to DOE’s description of the study.

That demand is developing alongside a large pipeline of new generation. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that developers planned 86 gigawatts of new utility-scale generating capacity for 2026, a record-high amount in the agency’s March 1 outlook. Transmission planning will need to account for how and where that generation connects to the grid.

The draft study does not itself approve specific transmission projects. It also does not authorize construction or guarantee federal financing for any project identified in the assessment. DOE’s review is a planning and information-gathering step, rather than a final national transmission plan.

A broader federal focus on large electricity loads

The DOE review follows a separate Federal Energy Regulatory Commission action focused on how regional grid operators handle large-load customers. On June 18, FERC issued show-cause orders to six regional grid operators concerning tariff treatment for those customers.

FERC gave the operators 60 days to justify their existing tariffs or propose changes. Tariffs set the terms under which customers receive transmission and other grid services, making the proceedings relevant to how unusually large electricity users connect to the system and pay for service.

Together, the federal actions point to two related planning questions: where transmission capacity is constrained and how grid rules should account for customers whose electricity needs may be unusually large. The DOE study addresses national transmission needs rather than the system of one utility or one state.

What happens next

The public now has 60 days to comment on the draft study. The approved notice does not provide the exact Federal Register publication date or a specific calendar date for the close of the comment period, so the deadline should be confirmed through DOE’s formal notice.

After the comment period and planned summer roundtables, DOE is expected to use the submitted information as it finalizes its assessment. The department’s next assessment could help inform future federal and regional transmission planning, but the source material does not establish that every identified need will receive federal approval or financing.

For states, Tribal Nations, communities and reliability organizations, the immediate consequence is an opportunity to put local capacity concerns, anticipated demand and other transmission issues into a formal national review. For electricity users, the study signals that federal planners are evaluating how the grid should adapt to changing demand and new generation, but it does not by itself promise lower electricity prices or prevent outages.