Natural gas association welcomes FERC review of pipeline certification policies

Interstate Natural Gas Association of America President and CEO Don Santa recently commented on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) plans to review its policies on certification of natural gas pipelines.

FERC Chair Kevin McIntyre recently announced that he plans to launch a review of the commission’s 1999 Policy Statement on Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities, which governs how it evaluates the natural gas pipelines seeking certification.

“The interstate natural gas pipeline industry welcomes the opportunity to provide input when FERC initiates its inquiry into whether the 1999 policy statement can be improved upon as a framework for the commission’s fulfillment of its responsibilities under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act,” Santa said.

Santa added that the policy statement has functioned well for the nation and its consumers.

“We believe that it will be demonstrated that the 1999 policy statement has withstood the test of time quite well,” Santa said. “The criteria specified in the policy statement continue to provide FERC with what remains a robust framework for evaluating the range of questions that must be addressed in determining whether a proposed pipeline meets the public convenience and necessity.”

FERC is discussing the format and scope of the review. McIntyre said that FERC would invite all stakeholders to share their views as part of the review process and that FERC would announce next steps in the near future.

“We look forward to participating actively in this important dialogue,” Santa said.