The National Transmission Needs Study (Needs Study) is an assessment of existing data and current and near-term future transmission needs through 2040. The Needs Study is an assessment of publicly available data and more than 120 recently published reports that consider current and anticipated future needs given a range of electricity demand, public policy, and market conditions.

The National Transmission Planning Study (NTP Study) is presented as a collection of six chapters and an executive summary, each of which is listed next. The NTP Study was led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.