UPDATE 1-US lawmakers discuss more govt power over grid

(Recasts lead, adds comments from lawmakers)

By Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) - The United States must develop policy allowing the federal government to lead the expansion of the electricity grid to meet any new renewable energy mandates, a key lawmaker said on Thursday.

"We can not and will not maximize the production of renewable energy in this country unless we fix the transmission problem," Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota said at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee meeting.

U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to double renewable energy production in three years. Obama also wants to generate 10 percent of the nation's electricity from renewable sources by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025.

To meet these goals, the U.S. grid must be upgraded and expanded to deliver power generated from wind turbines and solar panels from remote locations to urban populations.

The Senate committee met to discuss legislation that would allow the federal government to override state objections to establishing new electricity transmission lines.

The draft proposal would give states one year to provide sites for high-priority national transmission projects.

If states do not decide on a location for a proposed transmission line or reject the development, then the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be able to step in.