Sen. Dave McCormick is co-sponsoring legislation designed to streamline environmental reviews and expand electric grid capacity.
explore814
Published March 2, 2026 10:40 am
Dave McCormick
WASHINGTON, D.C. (EYT) — U.S. Senators Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced bipartisan legislation this week aimed at speeding up electric grid upgrades and reducing permitting delays that lawmakers say are slowing improvements to the nation’s energy infrastructure.
The Reconductoring Existing Wires for Infrastructure Reliability and Expansion (REWIRE) Act of 2026 would streamline environmental reviews, incentivize upgrades to existing transmission lines and encourage deployment of advanced grid technologies, supporters say.
“Electricity demand in Pennsylvania and across America is rising rapidly and that requires innovative solutions to strengthen our electric grid and cut through the bureaucracy that is holding us back,” McCormick said in a statement. “The bipartisan REWIRE Act is exactly the kind of commonsense fix we need. It leverages existing infrastructure we already have, brings down costs, and stops years of unnecessary permitting delays from standing in the way of real progress.”
Tristatealert.com reports electricity usage in the United States is projected to grow by as much as 5.7% by 2030, the fastest increase in decades, according to federal energy data. Officials say expanding grid capacity will require nearly 5,000 miles of new high-capacity transmission line annually. Yet only about 322 miles of new high-voltage line were completed nationwide in 2024, according to tristatealert.com.
Under the REWIRE Act, a categorical exclusion would be created under the National Environmental Policy Act for projects that increase grid capacity within existing rights-of-way. That would include reconductoring with advanced conductors, installing grid-enhancing technologies and deploying energy storage.
The bill also would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to improve the return on equity for reconductoring projects, encouraging more widespread adoption of advanced transmission conductors. State energy offices could use Department of Energy funds to conduct feasibility studies on grid upgrades, and regional collaboratives involving DOE labs and universities would be established to identify opportunities for technology deployment.
In addition, the Department of Energy would be authorized to create a national clearinghouse to share best practices and case studies on advanced transmission technology.
Supporters say the bill offers a pragmatic alternative to building entirely new transmission lines by focusing on enhancing capacity of existing infrastructure. They contend that approach could reduce grid-related costs by billions of dollars over the next several decades.
