Review

Three coalitions of municipal officials have petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider the plethora of proposed projects to carry natural gas into New England, urging FERC to consolidate the review process for five projects to determine whether all are needed.

Mandatory three-year reviews of natural gas pipeline rates, which haven’t been required by FERC in more than two decades, should be resumed, according to the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) and three-dozen companies and organizations.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) said Wednesday it will ask state regulators to review two regulatory judges’ recommendations that combined would assess $1.4 billion in penalties against the San Francisco-based utility for its failings leading to a natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and explosion four years ago in San Bruno, CA.

U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Mark Udall (D-CO) — two Democrats running for re-election this fall — introduced a bill Wednesday designed to speed up the review process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said Thursday it will modify its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export review process, effectively taking a backseat to FERC and redirecting the spotlight to a smaller volume of exports that have final, multi-agency authorization.

Wyoming regulators have decided to review rules for distancing oil and natural gas operations from developed areas, but they have delayed action on ways to reduce gas flaring.

As historically a dropping off point for major interstate natural gas pipelines, rather than a final destination, Arizona is intensifying its assessment of natural gas as part of a statewide energy plan now being drafted by Gov. Jan Brewer’s Energy Office.

Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the impact of growing shale oil and gas development on the nation’s rail and pipeline infrastructure.

Rex Energy Corp. said it has seen “impressive” results so far from its first three wells in the Warrior South prospect, an area in Ohio’s portion of the Utica Shale.