Commission—Not Staff—Should’ve Decided EQT Pipeline, Democrats Say

Any decision to restart construction on controversial pipelines such as the EQT Midstream Partners LP’s Mountain Valley project should be voted on by the commission itself, not delegated to staff, given the broad environmental impacts, Democratic federal energy regulators say.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members Cheryl LaFleur and Richard Glick voiced their concerns about the long-standing use of delegating the authority to the head of the Office of Energy Projects, especially in cases with complicated legal histories. OEP Director Terry Turpin gave the go-ahead Aug. 29 for construction to resume on the 303-mile pipeline in West Virginia ...