Regulator’s Transmission Overhaul Stokes Federal-State Tension

US energy regulators’ landmark rules to accelerate the planning and permitting of high-voltage transmission lines could run into opposition from state officials who view the rule as a politically motivated move to overstep their authority to protect consumer power bills.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a rule by a 2-1 party-line vote Monday that requires grid planners to perform 20-year power grid assessments to better plan and allocate the costs of transmission lines. The commission also approved a rule by a 3-0 vote to permit high-voltage power lines in national corridors to be established by the Energy Department.

FERC ...