; study With respect to processing a request from an interconnection customer to interconnect a generating facility or an energy storage project to a transmission facility or transmission system, the transmitting utility, as applicable, shall— (A) consult with the relevant owner or operator of the transmission facility or transmission system, and the interconnection customer, regarding deploying grid enhancing assets at the transmission facility or transmission system in addition to, or as a substitute to, carrying out a transmission expansion or addition at the transmission facility or transmission system, including to maximize utilization of existing transmission facilities, environmental justice and resilience benefits for communities, and protection of wildlife