Natural Gas Pipeline Certification: Policy Considerations for a Changing Industry
White Paper, November 2017
In an independent report supported by funding from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Analysis Group Senior Advisor Susan Tierney examined the certification process and market economics for new natural gas pipeline projects. Katherine Franklin and Analysts Jacob Silver and Grace Howland also contributed to the analysis.
The report, titled Natural Gas Pipeline Certification: Policy Considerations for a Changing Industry, reviews the changing circumstances regarding the production, transportation, and consumption of natural gas in the United States, and the potential impact of these changes on federal policies governing the certification and pricing of new interstate natural gas pipeline developments. Dr. Tierney found that conditions in the gas industry, in the markets for natural gas, and in the siting of pipelines and other gas infrastructure have changed significantly in the nearly two decades since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its 1999 Policy Statement. As a result, the report calls for a fresh look at the approach adopted by FERC and applied in certification dockets, documenting the key factors driving the need for updated guidance on pipeline certification.