The U.S. House of Representatives voted 213-184 on Friday to pass legislation aimed at speeding up federal permitting for interstate natural gas pipelines, part of a broader congressional effort to accelerate energy infrastructure development.
The Legislation
The Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act designates the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead agency in the permitting process for interstate natural gas pipelines. The bill gives FERC the authority to weigh water quality assessments in its environmental review process instead of having to wait for a separate certification under the Clean Water Act from states, which has prolonged the permitting process.
A companion bill called Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today also passed with bipartisan support on Friday.
Why It Matters
Passing broad permitting reform legislation has become a priority for Congress as lawmakers seek to speed up the process to build out energy infrastructure needed to power growing demand for electricity from data centers and to lower household energy costs, which have risen in recent years.
FERC traditionally has five panel members who are nominated by presidents and approved by the Senate. For years it has approved most of the natural gas pipeline decisions that have come before it.
“These bills help unlock the infrastructure America needs to meet growing demand for affordable, reliable energy,” American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said in a statement.
What’s Next
The Senate is undertaking a separate effort to reform energy permitting which would be broader than the bills that passed in the House. The Senate is focusing on legislation that would reform the National Environmental Policy Act, the bedrock environmental law, for projects like upgrading electric transmission lines.
