It ain’t easy being a midstreamer lately. Well, it’s probably never been easy, but these days trying to get a pipeline project to the finish line might feel a bit like Sisyphus from Greek mythology, forever pushing a boulder up a hill, filled with obstacles and setbacks. That hill has leaned ever-steeper in the past several years as turnover among FERC’s commissioners delayed project reviews, courts reversed a number of FERC approvals, and public opposition to pipeline projects increasingly delayed progress, even resulting in cancelations. And two weeks ago, the approval process was made tougher still when FERC announced new statements of policy regarding project certifications and greenhouse gas impact assessments. The proposed changes have caused a lot of anxiety among midstream companies, although in many ways FERC just declared as policy what was already happening on a case-by-case basis. But midstreamers shouldn’t panic. In today’s RBN blog, we explain the commission’s new guidance and how much impact it will really have.
Climb That Hill – A Steeper Path to Gas-Project Certification Following New FERC Policies
