Apr 15, 2019 IPAA, with other members of Natural Gas Council, calls on White House to fill FERC vacancy
In an April 15 letter, the members of the Natural Gas Council (NGC)- AGA, API, IPAA, INGAA and NGSA-urged President Trump to nominate new Commissioners to fill the current vacancy and the forthcoming vacancy at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as soon as possible.
FERC serves the critical role of approving construction of interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities, and is the lead federal agency for coordinating all federal authorizations for such projects. FERC currently has only four commissioners, which creates the potential for a 2-2 deadlock in voting on certificate applications. Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur’s term is set to expire this summer, which will create a second vacancy.
The NGC letter expressed thanks for issuance of the Executive Orders on April 10, 2019, aimed at speeding up the review, permitting, and construction of natural gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure. “A full complement of FERC Commissioners is critical to achieve the administration’s goal to streamline the review and permitting of natural gas infrastructure projects.”
