Public utilities; certificate of convenience and necessity for certain new transmission lines.

Added detailed notice requirements including publication in newspapers, written notice to local governments, and direct mail to property owners along proposed transmission line routes.

Required the Commission to verify applicant's load flow modeling, contingency analyses, and reliability needs before approving new transmission lines.

Mandated consideration of economic development objectives and service reliability improvements when approving electrical utility facilities.

Added provisions requiring applicants to summarize efforts to use existing rights-of-way and minimize adverse impacts on scenic assets, historic resources, and cultural resources.

Required public utilities to provide GIS maps of proposed transmission line routes to the Commission and make them available on the Commission's website.