The OMA this week joined more than 70 consumer organizations representing manufacturing companies and residential consumers to urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to ensure that new electricity transmission projects are competitively bid and ratepayer cost increases are reduced. FERC, which oversees the U.S. bulk power system, has initiated an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that considers the potential need to improve how transmission lines are planned and paid for. According to the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, annual transmission spending in the U.S. has increased from $95 billion in 2014 to $170 billion in 2020 — a 79% increase — while electricity demand increased only 2.3%. Only about 3% of electric transmission projects face competition. 10/14/2021