On 16 August 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion vacating portions of new natural gas-related pipeline-safety standards promulgated by The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),...more
In April 2023, we reported on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision in California Restaurant Association (CRA) v. City of Berkeley striking down a Berkeley ordinance that prohibited natural gas piping in...more
Background - On 5 May 2023, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking entitled “Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and...more
On 17 April 2023, in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, the Ninth Circuit struck down a local ordinance banning natural gas piping in newly constructed buildings, concluding that federal law preempts the...more
David Wochner and Sandi Safro discuss the potential to use the mature, robust existing US natural gas pipeline system to transport hydrogen, including current hurdles and possible paths forward....more
As we step into the second month of the New Year, we take a fresh look at areas of potential uncertainty percolating at and around the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) that could impact...more
Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) took two bold actions that strongly reaffirm the Trump Administration’s support for U.S. LNG exports and provide reassurance to the global LNG market regarding the sanctity of...more
FERC Announces a Notice of Inquiry on Certificating New Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Projects -
On April 19, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) announced a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding its...more
The Sierra Club and other environmental groups have made little secret of their opposition to the continuing use of fossil fuels and to the development of infrastructure to support that use. A new wrinkle in their multifront...more
On June 22, 2016 the President signed into law the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) reauthorization bill, the Securing America’s Future Energy: Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines...more
Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of Environmental Policy Quarterly, published jointly by the Environmental, Land and Natural Resources Practice Group and the Public Policy and Law Practice Group of K&L Gates. Environmental...more
The federal agency responsible for regulating the safety of natural gas and hazardous liquids pipelines has been in the spotlight recently as both chambers of Congress focused on reauthorizing the Department of...more
On July 16, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued an order (“July 16 Order”) denying the request by the Process Gas Consumers Group (“PGC”) and the American Forest and Paper...more
On April 16, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued a Policy Statement on Cost Recovery Mechanisms for Modernization of Natural Gas Facilities (the “Policy.Statement”), opening...more
In recent years, the proliferation of oil and gas production, transmission, and distribution activities in the United States has led to a number of regulatory initiatives by state and federal agencies designed to manage new...more
2/4/2015
/ Clean Air Act ,
Energy Policy ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Methane ,
NAAQS ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Power Plants ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Federal elections held nationwide on November 4 ushered in Republican control of the U.S. Senate and expanded the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republicans now hold majorities in both houses of...more
On September 4, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or the “Commission”) issued declaratory orders in response to two petitions, each seeking a jurisdictional determination under the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”)...more
On Thursday, 29 May 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced a proposed change to the procedures it will use to process applications to export LNG to non-free trade agreement (“non-FTA”) countries. This is a...more
6/6/2014
/ Applications ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Environmental Assessments ,
Exports ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Liquid Natural Gas ,
Natural Gas ,
NEPA ,
Non-FTA Countries ,
Oil & Gas ,
Proposed Amendments
On November 15, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") issued an order (available here) authorizing Freeport LNG Expansion, LP; FLNG Liquefaction, LLC; FLNG Liquefaction 2, LLC; and FLNG Liquefaction 3, LLC;...more
On August 7, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") issued an order authorizing Lake Charles Exports, LLC ("Lake Charles") to export liquefied natural gas ("LNG") from the Trunkline LNG terminal, its affiliate's terminal...more
On May 17, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued an order authorizing the Freeport LNG Terminal (“Freeport”) in Quintana Island, Texas to export liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) to nations with which the United...more