{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases/evans-peters-unveil-bill-address-transmission-project-bottlenecks-and-lower", "Evans, Peters Unveil Bill to Address Transmission Project Bottlenecks and Lower Electricity Costs", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Gabe Evans", "E000300", "gabeevans.house.gov", "gabeevans", "https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representatives Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Certainty in Litigation for Electric Asset Reliability (CLEAR) Act of 2026, legislation to streamline the buildout of big power line projects. The CLEAR Act would fix the legislative ambiguity that currently leaves Department of Energy (DOE)-coordinated transmission projects prone to excessive litigation and outright obstructionism that can stall critical infrastructure development, kill jobs, and drive up costs for utility ratepayers.\n\n\u201cAs America\u2019s demand for energy continues to rise, it is crucial that we find new and innovative ways to successfully transfer power in an affordable, safe and timely manner. The CLEAR Act will boost energy production, cut red tape and expedite project timelines, and reduce costs related to transmission projects across our country. I\u2019m proud to help lead this important legislation, and look forward to continuing to prioritize permitting reform as I work to make energy and life more affordable for Coloradans and our nation.\u201d \u2014 Congressman Gabe Evans\n\n\"Californians pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and part of the reason is that we can't get transmission projects through the litigation process and built on time. Our grid is too old and too slow to meet our skyrocketing energy demand. We can't wait years for badly needed infrastructure to be built. The CLEAR Act would accelerate the review process for large energy infrastructure projects and establish clear rules for stalled transmission projects, giving developers and local stakeholders the certainty to plan along with relief for ratepayers from rising costs.\" \u2014 Congressman Scott Peters\n\nThe CLEAR Act would align judicial review standards for DOE-coordinated transmission projects with those already used for hydropower and natural gas pipelines under the Federal Power Act, ensuring projects are built on time, without unnecessary legal delays.\n\nThe Federal Power Act governs the regulation of electricity and interstate power lines and empowers the DOE to act as a coordinating entity between Federal agencies, states, and local governments responsible for siting and permitting transmission lines. However, for DOE-coordinated transmission projects, parties have up to six years to sue, which drags cases through multiple, lengthy legal battles. This leads to confusion and uncertainty for companies who want to plan and invest with confidence, or local stakeholders who want to engage efficiently in the review process.\n\nFor example, the North Plains Connector, a proposed 420-mile, high-voltage transmission line connecting the western and eastern electric grids\u2014currently subject to lengthy deadlines \u2014 has dealt with unpredictable litigation timelines under the Federal Power Act.\n\nUnder the CLEAR Act, projects would have to follow Federal Power Act judicial review standards, including:\n\nA 120-day statute of limitations for filing suit\n\nA requirement that petitioners participate in the environmental review process before litigating, improving upfront engagement and making projects better during the review process, instead of on the back end; and\n\nDirect elevation of challenges to the U.S. Court of Appeals, ensuring stakeholders can reach a final decision faster\n\nRead a one-pager here. Read bill text here.\n\nBackground:\n\nAs leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus\u2019 Permitting Energy & Environment Working Group, and members of the House Energy and Environment Committee, Reps. Evans and Peters have led several major bipartisan efforts in Congress to overhaul and streamline the federal permitting process for energy and infrastructure projects.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://gabeevans.house.gov/media/press-releases/evans-peters-unveil-bill-address-transmission-project-bottlenecks-and-lower"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.515301875770092, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}