Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits (CITAP) Rule

In April 2024, the Dept. of Energy finalized the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits (CITAP) rule, which gives transmission developers a new option for a streamlined federal review process with a standard two-year schedule that can cut prior timeframes in half for the most complex environmental reviews. DOE released a draft standard schedule template that outlines how all the Federal environmental reviews and authorizations will be consolidated for a transmission project into a two-year review timeline. This rule was promulgated under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which added Section 216(h) of the Federal Power Act, authorizing DOE to serve as the lead agency for coordinating all Federal authorizations and related environmental reviews necessary to site an electric transmission facility. In May 2023, nine federal agencies, including DOE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement this authority to expedite the siting, permitting, and construction of electric transmission infrastructure.