FERC today took several actions to remove regulatory obstacles and therefore speed up the construction of needed natural gas infrastructure projects in the United States.
Today’s actions puts into place an immediate waiver of FERC’s Order No. 871 and establishes a process for permanent repeal to avoid delaying natural gas infrastructure projects that FERC has found are needed. FERC also acted to temporarily raise the cost limits under which natural gas companies are allowed to undertake pipeline modifications or construction without the need for further case-by-case certificate authorization by the Commission. This change will give natural gas companies increased flexibility and lessen regulatory burdens for certain activities related to their natural gas facilities.
“New and expanded natural gas infrastructure is essential to help America avoid a grid reliability crisis,” FERC Chairman Mark Christie said. “As the demand for electrical power continues to grow, getting more natural gas generation built is critically important and that means we must get natural gas infrastructure to supply that generation built more quickly as well, so that we can provide consumers with reliable power.”
Here are the specific actions taken today:
- An order granting a two-year temporary waiver to increase blanket certificate cost limitations to expand certain activities a natural gas company may undertake without the need to obtain a case-specific certificate, and a Notice of Inquiry seeking comment on permanently adjusting the blanket certificate cost limitations.
- An order granting a one-year waiver of the Commission’s rule that precludes the issuance of authorizations to proceed with construction activities for natural gas facilities while certain requests for rehearing are pending before the Commission, and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to remove the rule from the Commission’s regulations.
Source: FERC
