On March 25, 2022, the FERC voted to solicit feedback on two policy statements it issued in February 2022. The statements provide guidance regarding the certification of interstate natural gas pipelines and consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in natural gas project reviews. In February, the FERC issued an update to its 1999 Certificate Policy Statement and also published an interim policy statement that highlighted the FERC’s evaluation of the impact of a project’s GHG emissions. Continue reading "FERC Solicits Feedback on Draft Policy..." »

The FERC announced that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will convene a hearing on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Committee will review and discuss recent actions of the FERC related to allowing construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and other natural gas infrastructure projects. {expires: 2022-03-04} Continue reading "Senate Energy and Natural Resources Full..." »

On February 2nd, the FERC announced that drafts of the Release 2.0 Taxonomies may now be accessed in the Vendor File Library under Quick Links on the FERC’s eForms Refresh webpage. The final Release 2.0 taxonomies will be available to test and submit official filings in the eCollection portal beginning February 17, 2022. Release 2.0 taxonomies, validation rules, and rendering files must be used when filing 2021 FERC Form Nos. 1, 1-F, 2, 2-A, 6, 60, and 714. Continue reading "FERC Updates eForms Refresh" »

The Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission (Task Force) has announced that its upcoming meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 16th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. {expires: 2022-02-17} Continue reading "FERC, NARUC to Hold Second Joint Task Force..." »

The staff at the FERC will host a virtual technical conference to discuss the potential requirement for further financial assurance mechanisms in the licenses and other authorizations the FERC issues for hydroelectric projects. These mechanisms are intended to ensure that licensees have the capability to carry out license requirements and maintain their projects in safe condition. {expires: 2022-04-27} Continue reading "FERC to Hold Tech Conference on Financial..." »

In December 2021, the FERC staff prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with LA Storage, LLC’s Hackberry Storage Project. LA Storage is soliciting approval to construct and operate certain natural gas facilities in the state of Louisiana. LA Storage proposes to convert three current salt dome caverns and develop one new salt dome cavern for natural gas storage service. Continue reading "FERC Staff Releases Hackberry Storage Draft..." »

The FERC issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on December 16th to assess the rate recovery, reporting and accounting treatment of industry association dues and certain civic, political, and related expenses. The NOI also evaluates the ratemaking impact of potential accounting and reporting developments and whether increased disclosure or guidance is needed concerning defining donations for charitable, social, or community welfare purposes. The notice also considers whether modifications are necessary to guarantee those expenses are appropriately accounted for and recovered in rates. {expires: 2022-02-23} Continue reading "FERC Solicits Comment on Recovery, Reporting of..." »

The FERC voted on December 16th to approve a final rule that will utilize the nation’s transmission grid with increased efficacy and reliability while decreasing consumer cost by enhancing the accuracy and transparency of transmission line ratings. Continue reading "FERC Approves Rule to Enhance Transmission Line..." »

On November 24th, the FERC published a Notice of Information Collection in the Federal Register. Consistent with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the FERC is requesting public feedback pertaining to currently approved information collections, FERC Form Nos. 6 and 6T (Annual Report of Oil Pipeline Companies) and 6-Q and 6-QT (Quarterly Report of Oil Pipeline Companies). Pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Act (ICA), the FERC is authorized and empowered to make investigations and to collect and record data to the extent FERC deems necessary or useful in order to carry out the provisions of the ICA. Continue reading "FERC Issues Notice of Information Collection on..." »

The FERC has announced that the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission will convene its first meeting on November 10th to discuss the topic, Incorporating State Perspectives into Regional Transmission Planning. Established by the FERC and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in June 2021, the Task Force is comprised of the FERC Commissioners and ten state regulators representing the five NARUC regions. The partnership is an opportunity for state and federal regulators to work side-by-side on various transmission issues. {expires: 2021-11-11} Continue reading "FERC, NARUC to Host Inaugural Federal-State..." »