H.R. 10302: Certainty in Litigation for Electric Asset Reliability (CLEAR) Act of 2026

This bill would change how federal approvals are coordinated for certain electric transmission facilities, such as high-voltage power lines.

What it changes

• It expands the Federal Power Act language so that federal coordination applies not just to siting a transmission facility, but also to constructing one.
• It makes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the lead federal agency for certain transmission projects that are permitted under this provision.
• It requires federal agencies that issue approvals for these projects to publish their final action in the Federal Register.
• It directs the Secretary to, when practical, combine the records for all federal permit and review decisions on a transmission project into a single joint record of decision.

How legal challenges would work

• For covered transmission projects, each federal approval would be treated as if it were an order issued by FERC for purposes of rehearing and judicial review.
• The bill says that review procedures under the Federal Power Act would apply using the lead agency in place of FERC where needed.
• It also says that challenges to these approvals could be brought only under the review process in section 313 of the Federal Power Act, overriding other laws that might otherwise allow rehearing or court review.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill is meant to make the federal permitting process for electric transmission lines more centralized and standardized. It would give one main federal agency a coordinating role, create a single consolidated record when possible, and channel disputes into one specific rehearing-and-review process.

Relevant Companies

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