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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued certificates to Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines on Friday, October 13. However, in a rare move, FERC Commission Cheryl LaFleur dissented on the certificates and refused to approve them.
Tom Gilbert, campaign director for ReThink Energy NJ and New Jersey Conservation Foundation, discusses the implications this could have on the PennEast pipeline:
“Commissioner LaFleur’s dissent echoes former Chairman Norman Bay’s call to FERC to take a more searching look at whether there is an actual need for a pipeline project. By simply relying on contracts for the pipeline capacity, FERC is violating both its own Certificate policy and the Natural Gas Act,” Gilbert said.
“The New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel and independent energy experts have found no evidence of need for PennEast, pointing to self-dealing contracts that do not demonstrate public need. If FERC takes a hard look at the need for PennEast — as Commissioner LaFleur suggests — the agency will have ample reason to deny the project.”
