Don Santa, president and chief executive officer of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, today commented on the announcement by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Kevin McIntyre that he intends in 2018 to initiate an examination of the commission’s 1999 policy statement on the certification of new interstate natural gas pipeline facilities:
“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. The 1999 policy statement has served the nation and its consumers well by providing an efficient, market-responsive process for determining whether applications to construct new interstate natural gas pipelines satisfy the public convenience and necessity as required by the statute.
"The ability to site and construct this critical infrastructure has enabled the United States to benefit quickly from the natural gas supply unlocked by the shale revolution. Americans have benefitted from this domestic energy abundance through lower heating and electricity bills, a resurgence in domestic manufacturing and a cleaner environment as natural gas displaces less benign sources of energy. This would not have been possible without pipelines connecting natural gas supplies to natural gas consumers.
"We believe that it will be demonstrated that the 1999 policy statement has withstood the test of time quite well. 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.
“We look forward to participating actively in this important dialogue.”
