The 2025 Transmission Planning and Development Report Card released by Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG) provides an updated assessment of US transmission planning and development across ten regions. The report shows incremental improvement in transmission planning across most of the regions, driven largely by reforms to regional planning. However, many regions continue to fall well short of best practices, and progress remains uneven relative to the scale and urgency of today’s transmission needs. Accelerating electricity demand — driven by data centers, manufacturing growth, and electrification — is increasing the importance of forward-looking transmission planning, compressing planning timelines, and raising the stakes for regions that continue to rely on incremental or reactive approaches.
The report places greater emphasis on interregional transmission planning, reflecting an established body of research demonstrating the significant reliability, affordability, and resilience benefits interregional investments can deliver. While some interregional transmission planning is being conducted through state coordination and voluntary planning efforts and some development is advancing by independent/merchant projects, these efforts remain largely voluntary. Across most regions, interregional coordination relies on reliability-focused studies rather than proactive, scenario-based planning with durable selection and cost-allocation frameworks. As a result, interregional transmission remains one of the weakest elements of the national planning landscape, with planned capacity generally falling short of estimated need.
Access the report here.