Though the new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission—the agency responsible for approving massive natural-gas pipelines—is making progress clearing a six-month backlog of such projects, he may be hamstrung by procedures put in place by the Obama administration and by at least one fellow commissioner.
Dominion Energy is set to build a $2-billion pumped hydroelectric storage unit in southwest Virginia to accommodate 240 MW of solar generation it plans to add every year through 2032, the company confirmed.
Pipeline-sector observers are watching whether a U.S. appellate court ruling, which last month canceled federal approval of a $3.2-billion Florida natural-gas line and two others for not adequately considering the projects’ contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions, could affect approvals of other planned projects.
While expected to favor fossil fuels, the relatively neutral study embraces the generally accepted fact that natural gas is forcing coal and nuclear plant retirements.
A Hong Kong-based company is seeking to build an $888-million liquefied-natural-gas terminal at Port Fourchon, the nation’s largest offshore oil-and-gas port. Energy World, operating as Fourchon LNG, would produce, export and use LNG to fuel the next generation of offshore supply vessels.
A logjam of construction approvals for major natural gas pipelines, liquefied natural gas facilities and other projects could loosen by the end of the summer if the Senate approves two Republicans whom President Trump nominated May 8 to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.