Federal Register #Docket No. RM25-12-001

FERC Proposed Blanket Certificate Rule Changes for Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), part of the Department of Energy, is proposing significant revisions to its blanket certificate program for interstate natural gas pipelines: - Government Buyer: - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Office of Energy Projects - Scope of Proposed Rulemaking: - Expands the types and scale of natural gas pipeline projects eligible for construction without case-specific authorization - Increases cost limits for automatic authorization projects to $30 million, prior notice projects to $86 million, and storage testing to $17 million - Removes cost limits for certain receipt points and compressor station expansions within existing footprints - Allows incremental rates for prior notice projects - Extends in-service deadline for projects to two years - Streamlines compliance with environmental and historic preservation requirements - Updates annual cost adjustment methodology to use the Handy-Whitman Index - Products/Services Referenced: - Mainline facilities (including compression and looping) - Eligible facilities (receipt/delivery points, taps, meters, heaters, minor gas conditioning/treatment/odorization) - Compressor station expansions - Underground storage field remediation and maintenance - Abandonment of unused receipt or delivery points - Notable Requirements: - Focus on reducing regulatory burdens and expediting infrastructure development - No specific OEMs, vendors, part numbers, or purchase quantities identified, as this is a regulatory change rather than a direct procurement - Impact: - Affects all entities involved in the construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines - Not a direct purchase, but will influence future procurement and project development across the industry

Description

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes to revise its blanket certificate regulations to expand the scope and scale of projects that interstate natural gas pipelines may construct without a case-specific authorization order. The revisions also include increasing the cost limits for such projects. These changes aim to streamline procedures, increase flexibility, and reduce regulatory burdens for natural gas infrastructure projects. Comments on the proposed rule are due by July 27, 2026.

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