Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks to Expand Grid Capacity by Upgrading Existing Power Lines

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2026 – Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Dave McCormick, R-Pa., introduced bipartisan legislation Monday aimed at expanding the nation’s electric grid capacity by upgrading existing transmission lines instead of building entirely new ones.

The bill, titled the Reconductoring Existing Wires for Infrastructure Reliability and Expansion Act, would allow utilities to replace older transmission wires with advanced conductors capable of carrying significantly more electricity. The measure seeks to speed those upgrades by reducing environmental review requirements for projects that stay within existing rights-of-way.

Electricity demand in the United States is projected to rise as much as 5.7 percent by 2030, the fastest growth rate since the 1960s. According to the Department of Energy, meeting that demand would require nearly 5,000 miles of new high-capacity transmission lines each year. In 2024, however, only 322 miles of new high-voltage transmission were completed.