House to consider natural gas pipeline permitting bill next week

The House will take up legislation next week to expedite the federal review process for natural gas pipeline permit applications.

A vote is expected next Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), the bill’s sponsor.

{mosads}Pompeo’s legislation would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny applications for natural gas pipelines within 12 months. Agencies responsible for issuing any licenses, permits or approval would have to approve or deny them within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental review of a project.

Extensions of 30 days could be granted if an agency demonstrates it can’t complete the process within the original time frame.

Pompeo said the legislation would help prevent delays in the approval process. 

“It is critical that the process for reviewing natural gas pipelines is modernized, especially as natural gas becomes more prevalent as a source of electricity generation,” Pompeo said in a statement upon introducing the proposal.

The vote on the pipeline permitting measure will come two weeks after the House passed legislation to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The Senate is still debating a virtually identical Keystone bill.

The House will only be in session for three days next week. Tuesday will be dominated by President Obama’s State of the Union address, while Thursday will feature debate on a bill to ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy on the same day as the annual March for Life.