Tag Archives: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Ask GAO to investigate why FERC Doesn’t Work

You can support hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals who have already asked Congress to:

Help secure an independent investigation by the Government Accountability Office into the abuses of power, process and law by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) when it comes to interstate natural gas pipelines and LNG export facilities. Write your congressional representative now to urge their help in securing this necessary independent review.

Here’s a handy web form by Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

If you want something local to say, try reading Continue reading Ask GAO to investigate why FERC Doesn’t Work

Petition for GAO to rein in FERC

Please sign this petition for an independent investigation of FERC by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Or call or write your own members of Congress and ask them to investigate FERC and rein in its rubberstamping of new fossil fuel projects.

FERC has actually denied two pipelines out of a huge number of applications. Both were part of LNG import projects. One of them was about hardship to mineral interest donors, and a fair FERC would conclude hardship to everyone who depends on the Floridan Aquifer for their sole source of drinking water would be more than sufficient reason to deny Sabal Trail. The other`was a Spectra pipeline, so even mighty Spectra can lose at FERC.

But it’s hard for any new fossil fuel project to lose at FERC because FERC brags about “Full Cost Recovery” meaning 100% of FERC’s annual Congressional allocation is paid back out of fees and charges from the very industries FERC supposedly “regulates”. This is what Investopedia defines as regulatory capture: Continue reading Petition for GAO to rein in FERC

Land owners affected by this project are listed as private (confidential) –James W Padgett to FERC about cemeteries in path of PF14-2 Florida Southeast Connection

Filed with FERC 18 November 2013:

James W Padgett, President
Olney-Alger Family Trust
42550 US Hwy 441 N
Okeechobee, FL 34972

November 7, 2013

Robert Sharra, Business Development
Florida Southeast Connection, LLC.
700 Universe Blvd
Juno Beach, FL 33408

Dear Mr. Sharra:

I am President, of Olney-Alger Family Trust Inc and represent the interest of the Padgett Cemetery in Indian River County and the Willis Cemetery in Osceola County. These two cemeteries are near the proposed route of the Pipeline Project PF14-2.

Continue reading Land owners affected by this project are listed as private (confidential) –James W Padgett to FERC about cemeteries in path of PF14-2 Florida Southeast Connection

FERC Commissioner pushes LNG exports to House Subcommitee

Commissioner Tony Clark’s LNG export comments are the pullquote in the U.S. House Committee’s own writeup. His testimony says a surplus of fracked gas in the U.S. is driving both LNG exports and new pipelines. Not customer demand in Florida: producer demand for new markets. Do we want a pipeline through our lands to profit fat cats in Houston?

Given Clark’s background as a public service commissioner in fracking North Dakota, he seems likely to be a fracking, LNG export, and gas pipeline advocate. New FERC Acting Chair Cheryl A. LaFleur’s testimony set the stage for Clark’s remarks:

Increased availability of domestic natural gas and its growing use in power generation also has implications for natural gas infrastructure, which Commissioner Clark will touch on in his testimony.

FERC Commissioner Phillip D. Moeller’s testimony included this Orwellian remark:
Over the last 22 months, the Commission has undertaken significant efforts to address the growing convergence of the natural gas and electric industries through seven technical conferences and regular updates. In November the Commission issued its final rule relating to communications regarding sensitive system information in an effort to open communication channels between interstate natural gas pipelines and operators of wholesale electric markets.

So we should pave the way for natural gas plowing through our property by making communications about it federally sensitive?

Written Testimony of Commissioner Tony Clark
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Before the Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Energy and Power
United States House of Representatives
Hearing on
Evaluating the Role of FERC in a Changing Energy Landscape
December 5, 2013

The large amount of natural gas in the U.S. is also creating an impetus for something that was nearly unimaginable ten or fifteen year ago, LNG export, as opposed to import terminals. This is an area of significant workload increase for the Commission.

Presently, the FERC has thirteen proposed LNG export terminals and three LNG import terminals in some phase of the permitting process. As you would expect, the reviews that entail safely siting large multi-billion dollar energy projects such as these are extensive.

Note he doesn’t say anything about deciding whether to site LNG export terminals, just doing it “safely”. So this FERC Commissioner seems in favor of what another House subcommittee is also pushing: LNG exports.

But what about pipelines? Those are also driven by fossil fuel company fracked shale gas gluts, not by customer demand:

As you might expect, the shale revolution in both liquids and natural gas production is having a tremendous impact on the work of the FERC. We see this Continue reading FERC Commissioner pushes LNG exports to House Subcommitee