Once again taking aim at the traditional State prerogative to decide whether and where to site electric transmission lines, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee concluded an initial round of mark-ups of draft energy legislation. The week's work focused on the multi-faceted bill's transmission related provisions, including a highly controversial measure that would amend the Federal Power Act to enhance the Federal government's authority to site transmission lines. The Committee adopted a key amendment opposed by Chairman Bingaman that would constrain FERC's authority to allocate costs of new transmission lines, drawing fire from renewable energy advocates worried that the provision would frustrate construction of new lines needed to carry renewable power from the sunny, windy hinterlands to major cities.