US regulators clarify how power lines get built and who pays for them

US energy regulators have clarified rules for building new high-voltage power lines across regions. This means it will be easier to plan and pay for the large transmission projects needed to move electricity from new power plants to cities.

For years, building new power lines has been slow and expensive because no one could agree on who should pay. This new rule clarifies how costs are shared among different regions and utilities. It makes it easier to connect new power sources, like wind and solar farms, to the grid, which often involves crossing multiple states. The US has added roughly 150 GW of wind and solar capacity since 2020, but the grid has struggled to keep up.