Section 216(a) of the Federal Power Act requires the Department of Energy to issue a national transmission congestion study (Congestion Study) for comment by August 2006 and every three years thereafter. The Congestion Study issued on August 8, 2006, was the Department's first congestion study. The next Congestion Study is due August 8, 2009.

August 2006 Congestion Study
The August 2006 study examined transmission congestion constraints and identified constrained transmission paths in many areas of the Nation, based on examination of historical studies of transmission conditions, existing studies of transmission expansion needs, and unprecedented region-wide modeling of both the Eastern and Western Interconnections. Public comments received on the August 2006 study, additional press releases, and other related documents are also available.

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