DOT Proposes Using Highway and Rail Corridors for Power Lines, Pipelines and Broadband

August 19, 2026

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an official Request for Information (RFI) seeking public and stakeholder input on a new initiative called America’s Great Corridors of Commerce (AGCC), which would allow electric transmission lines, pipelines, fiber optic cables, and broadband infrastructure to be built alongside existing highway and rail rights-of-way across the country.

DOT Wants Input on America’s Great Corridors of Commerce

According to the official announcement published in the Federal Register, the initiative is designed to address two parallel national needs: the surging demand for energy and communications infrastructure to support manufacturing and emerging technologies, and the need for additional funding for transportation agencies to address capital improvements and deferred maintenance. Under the AGCC model, rights-of-way owners — such as state highway departments and rail operators — could generate revenue by leasing corridor space to utility providers through public-private partnerships, with those revenues directed toward transportation improvement projects.

The basic idea is to make greater use of land already dedicated to major transportation corridors rather than treating every new transmission line, pipeline or broadband project as an entirely separate infrastructure route. DOT says today’s utility co-location process is generally handled project by project, while the proposed AGCC framework would create a more coordinated approach involving transportation agencies, infrastructure developers and federal permitting authorities.

The proposal could also create a new revenue stream for participating transportation agencies or other right-of-way owners. Under the concept described by DOT, utility providers could pay to use corridor space, with lease or other project revenue potentially helping fund transportation capital projects and deferred maintenance.

The Program Would Be Voluntary

The DOT, acting through its Build America Bureau, describes AGCC as a voluntary, applicant-driven process. Rights-of-way owners would propose specific corridors for utility co-location. Corridors selected under the program would receive technical assistance and coordination from a team of experts drawn from relevant federal agencies. The announcement states that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation would lead an interagency federal task force to marshal resources and expedite permitting for designated corridors.

The federal announcement identifies the types of infrastructure targeted for co-location as including electrical transmission lines, water pipelines along highways, pipelines along railways, fiber optic cables, and rural broadband. The initiative also aims to attract data centers, manufacturing facilities, and distribution hubs to locate near AGCC corridors to take advantage of the resulting utility access.

DOT’s announcement references Executive Order 14156, which it says established a national emergency related to the adequacy of the U.S. power grid and energy supply. The agency states that current utility co-location within rights-of-way is typically handled on a case-by-case basis, which it describes as fragmented, inefficient, and difficult to scale.

What the Proposal Could Mean for Communities

For readers interested in how energy infrastructure, highway funding, or rural broadband expansion may affect their communities, this initiative could have downstream implications for energy reliability, transportation budgets, and regional economic development.

The comment period is open through September 12, 2026. Written comments can be submitted electronically at regulations.gov using docket number DOT-OST-2026-3269, by email, or by U.S. mail to DOT’s Docket Operations office in Washington, D.C. Further information is available from the Build America Bureau at 202-366-0797.

Readers with specific questions about how this initiative may affect their region, property, or utility service should verify their particulars directly with the U.S. Department of Transportation or review the full Federal Register notice.