The Public Utility Commission this week proposed interim guidelines regarding transmission line siting in Pennsylvania, asking interested parties to comment on the proposal.

The Commission voted 5-0 to issue the interim guidelines for comment, which, if adopted, will provide guidance on the information that the Commission believes is relevant and critical to its evaluation of future transmission line siting applications (Docket No. M-2009-2141293)

The Commission plans to initiate a rulemaking process to update existing regulations on the information to be filed in support of transmission siting applications. Because the rulemaking process can take a year or more to complete, the interim guidelines will provide direction and be effective until final regulations are completed.

The Commission said ongoing developments at the federal level affecting transmission line siting as well as the Commission’s obligation to maintain an adequate transmission infrastructure impacted the decision to re-evaluate the relevancy and effectiveness of its current regulations.

The interim guidelines address: public notice filing requirements; eminent domain filing requirements; exemption from municipal zoning standards; route evaluation and siting; environmental filing requirements; and health and safety considerations.

The deadline for filing comments is 45 days after the PUC Order is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. If no comments are filed, the proposed guideline will become final.

When an electric company wants to build high-voltage transmission lines, it must file an application with the PUC that includes the proposal’s costs and route. Transmission line siting cases present two distinct issues: whether the need for the line exists; and, whether the proposed route is the best of all alternatives considered.

Watch the PUC website for more information.