FERC Nominees Pledge Orderly Review of Natural Gas Pipelines

Three White House nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told Senate lawmakers Thursday they would consider more natural gas pipelines and a quicker build-out of long-range electric transmission lines to make the US power grid more reliable and affordable.

The role of natural gas in the country’s energy mix has emerged as a divisive issue at the commission in recent years. FERC has come under pressure from environmental groups to reject gas projects on the basis of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental justice impacts.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman, has ...