WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), issued the following statement in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) announcement to change the status of its two recent policy statements on natural gas pipelines and related infrastructure.

“America and our allies need more, not less, natural gas and natural gas infrastructure. President Biden and his appointees should be working to make it easier to develop and deliver this critical resource,” said Barrasso. “FERC’s decision to step back from its destructive natural gas policy statements is a first step. Today’s action is an acknowledgement of the damage these statements would have done if left in place. FERC must go back to the drawing board and start over on these harmful proposals.”

Background Information:

On March 23, 2022, Barrasso was joined by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and James Lankford (R-OK) in introducing S. 3908, the Ensuring National Security Using Reliable Energy (ENSURE) Act. This legislation would stop FERC’s recent policy statements that apply to natural gas pipelines and related infrastructure from going into effect until natural gas and electric reliability is secure and electricity and natural gas prices have stabilized. 

On March 3, 2022, ENR held a full committee hearing to review recent actions of FERC relating to permitting construction, operation of interstate natural gas pipelines, and other natural gas infrastructure projects. 

On February 15, 2022, Barrasso sent a letter to FERC calling on the Commissioners to protect the reliability and affordability of American energy and not delay natural gas infrastructure projects.

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