Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reconsidered the policy statements on natural gas infrastructure projects it issued in February.

“Today’s unanimous vote during FERC’s open meeting was a course-correction from their previous partisanship and I appreciate their willingness to address the significant concerns raised by many members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I was also pleased to see them approve three additional pipeline projects. Energy security for America and our allies is dependent on FERC’s ability to move much needed energy infrastructure projects forward. To do so they must maintain clear and predictable policies that strike the right balance between energy security, affordability and environmental considerations. I will continue to seek a bipartisan path forward to ensure they do.”

In February, Chairman Manchin criticized FERC’s decision to add unnecessary roadblocks to the permitting process for natural gas projects. On March 3, Chairman Manchin convened a hearing to review that decision and blasted it as a short-sighted measure that put American energy reliability, security and independence at risk.

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