Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
Thank you. (Operator Instructions). And we'll take our first question from Dan Eggers with Credit Suisse.
Dan Eggers – Credit Suisse
Hey good morning.
Cameron M. Bready
Good morning.
Joseph L. Welch
Good morning Dan.
Dan Eggers – Credit Suisse
Joe, can you just talk a little about of what you guys see, going on in Washington right now? I know that Bingaman's plan has been moving around a little bit as far as what he wants from transmission, which you guys have been involved in from a conversation perspective and what you think is most important to advancing kind of some of the big projects you are talking about?
Joseph L. Welch
Well I think there is two items that are floating around, and they both are going to have some form or another of implications as to how all the games or projects if you will, will play out in the future. But I truly believe that, I'll start with one that I think I have the best handle on. I hope it comes out this way now, but is that they are going to deal with the issue around sighting. I have heard a lot of issues back and forth on sighting, but I think the sighting issue will get dealt with I believe that they will have a role and involvement with the states, and the states will get the first bite of the apple if you will, to sight these major regional transmission projects. With then FERC getting real backstop sighting authority if the state fails to deliver within a prescribed timeframe. And I think that a state giving a no to sighting is not an issue that came up, will not be an acceptable outcome. I think everybody truly realizes that if we're going to change the energy climate in this country, we have absolutely got to get regional transmission built and it has to be sighted. The second thing is, they will deal with the cost allocation. And again, I think that they're going to make some positive step forward. I don’t think that we're going to get the position that we hold to be the one where everyone across the United States all pays for the transmission upgrades. I think they'll go to a more specific regional approach. I think ultimately we'll get to where we think it has to be, but we're probably ahead of the game on that one. I think they'll also deal with the coordination of planning, not putting in place a quote regional planner, but absolutely having the RTOs bring the plan up through the process and ultimately having FERC deal with them. So, I think we're going make good progress. I'm very optimistic.
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