Regulatory

A lawmaker serving on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform is questioning FERC over its protections for landowners impacted by natural gas pipeline construction. In a letter late last week to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman James Danly, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), chair of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties subcommittee, asked the agency…

State regulators have given Consumers Energy Co. the nod to construct a new $550 million, 36-inch diameter pipeline replacement in central Michigan. The Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) last week approved Consumers’ application to build the Mid-Michigan Pipeline, a replacement of the existing 20-inch diameter, 70-year-old Line 100A. The PSC determined that the Mid-Michigan project…

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has completed hearings to address sweeping changes to its mission, from “fostering” to “regulating” the industry.   The changes, which among other things also address wildlife mitigation impacts, were required by the state Senate Bill (SB) 19-181 signed into law last year. Hearings began in August to address…

“I think that we still have a window of time to explore and develop our natural riches, but we need to do so now,” said Sergio Pimentel, Commissioner at Mexico’s Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH). “If not, we are leaving these resources in the ground and could be depriving future generations of Mexican citizens of…

Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (MVP), a project that has faced implacable opposition in the courts, secured a legal victory Wednesday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the natural gas conduit’s revamped Endangered Species Act approvals. The Fourth Circuit, a venue that has not shown much sympathy toward MVP in recent…

Despite concerns about the energy policies of Mexico’s current government, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the country’s nascent natural gas market, according to NGI’s Christopher Lenton, senior editor for Mexico and Latin America. Lenton spoke last week at the LDC Natural Gas Forum 2020 about his reasons for optimism, which include…

The continued development of Mexico’s natural gas market will be vital for U.S. suppliers over the coming years, according to NAmerico Energy Holdings LLC (NEH) President Jeff Welch. Welch spoke on a virtual panel Tuesday at the LDC Natural Gas Forum 2020. He noted that Mexico’s gas market is still in the nascent stages of…

Joseph R. Biden Jr. has become the president-elect and will take office in January, heralding a seismic shift in energy and climate policy from the executive branch. However, any major legislation could be stymied by a divided Congress, assuming Republicans retain their majority in the Senate, while executive actions could be challenged by a more…

FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee, who recently oversaw the agency’s efforts to encourage regional carbon pricing mechanisms, has been demoted and President Trump has named James Danly, the Commission’s other sitting Republican, as the new chief. Chatterjee, a former energy policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in…