Requesting the State Corporation Commission's Division of Public Utility Regulation to study the undergrounding of electrical transmission lines. Report.
House Joint Resolution 44 requests that the State Corporation Commission’s Division of Public Utility Regulation study the undergrounding of electrical transmission lines. The study must examine the potential benefits and costs of placing transmission lines wholly or partly underground, and it must also identify ways to streamline permitting and approval processes for such projects.
The resolution directs the Division to consult with a range of stakeholders, including local governing bodies, PJM Interconnection, electric utilities, technical experts, and others as needed. The Department of Energy is to provide technical assistance, and all state agencies must assist upon request. The Division must complete its work by November 30, 2026, and submit an executive summary and report to the Governor and General Assembly by the first day of the 2027 Regular Session.
HJ44 does not change substantive law or require immediate construction of underground transmission lines; instead, it creates a legislative study directive. Its practical effect is to place the issue of undergrounding electric transmission infrastructure under formal review by the State Corporation Commission’s Division of Public Utility Regulation, with support from the Department of Energy and other state agencies. The study could inform future legislation, regulatory changes, or permitting reforms affecting utilities, local governments, and large electricity users such as data centers.
The bill appears to be framed positively and pragmatically, emphasizing reliability, rising electricity demand, and the need to evaluate infrastructure options. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes, there is no direct evidence of opposition or support in the available record. The bill’s structure suggests a consensus-oriented approach focused on gathering information rather than mandating a policy outcome.
The main issues likely to generate debate are the cost of undergrounding transmission lines, the technical feasibility of doing so at scale, and whether the permitting and approval process should be streamlined. Utilities and technical experts may focus on engineering and ratepayer cost concerns, while local governments and communities may be more interested in land use, reliability, and visual or environmental impacts. The reference to rapidly growing electricity demand, especially from the data center industry, suggests that future contention may center on who should bear the costs of new transmission infrastructure and whether undergrounding is a practical response to that demand.