Senator pushes bill to speed up pipeline approval

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) has introduced a bill to speed up the pipeline approval process. 

Capito’s bill looks to reform the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s pipeline permitting process by pushing for more coordination between the federal and state agencies charged with approving them, and setting firm deadlines for permitting.

{mosads}The bill would allow simultaneous review between federal and state agencies considering a pipeline application, give pipeline applicants the option of paying an outside contractor or FERC staffer to help them prepare or review their application, and require a federal online “regulatory dashboard” to track the review process. 

In a statement, Capito said her bill was spurred by increased gas production in her state’s Marcellus Region, which “has been great for our economy, but has outpaced our pipeline’s capacity.”

“This bill increases pipeline capacity, allowing the U.S. to fully take advantage of its vast natural gas reserves and limit any overload on existing pipelines,” she said. 

Oil state Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) co-sponsored the bill.