Innovative Tool for Electricity Infrastructure Permitting Expands to Include Information on the Clean Air Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it expanded the Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit to include information on Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance for bulk transmission project development in all 50 states. This information is critical for projects being developed in areas that may have more rigorous compliance due to existing air quality levels and/or arid climates.

The RAPID Toolkit facilitates communication between project developers and permitting agency personnel, among permitting agencies at all jurisdiction levels, and among all project stakeholders—including the public. The expansion will enhance understanding of CAA permitting processes and compliance for constructing electric transmission facilities in the United States. “For more than eight years, the RAPID Toolkit has made regulatory and permitting information accessible in one location,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Patricia Hoffman of DOE’s Office of Electricity. “The addition of CAA compliance information into the Toolkit furthers the goal of making the bulk transmission regulatory process easier to navigate.”

Through the web portal, agencies, developers, and industry stakeholders can access links to permit applications, procedures, manuals, and related information on bulk transmission regulatory processes for all 50 states and Canadian provinces bordering the United States. The site also includes a regulatory and permitting database, reference library, best practices, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Database. This addition of CAA information builds upon a previous expansion of the toolkit, and DOE will continue to upgrade and improve the tool going forward.

The RAPID Toolkit can be found at https://rapidtoolkit.org. A factsheet on the Toolkit can also be found here: https://openei.org/wiki/RAPID/BulkTransmission/Factsheet.