Hill Heat

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) invites you to attend one of the virtual public comment meetings it will conduct by telephone on the Line 200 and Line 300 Project draft environmental impact statement.

Driftwood proposes to construct and operate dual 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipelines originating near the town of Ragley in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana southward to a proposed receiver facility near the town of Carlyss in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts. Most of these impacts would be temporary and occur during construction (e.g., impacts on land use, traffic, and noise). With the exception of climate change impacts, that are not characterized in this EIS as significant or insignificant, we conclude that Project effects would not be significant based on implementation of Driftwood’s impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, as well as their adherence to our recommendations. Other than the non-significant impacts on environmental justice communities associated with the construction and operation of Meter Station 7 and Meter Station 9, we conclude that the Project would not result in disproportionately high or adverse impacts on environmental justice communities.

Docket Nos. CP21-465-000, CP21-465-001, CP21-465-002

Date, Time, and Call-in Information

Thursday, June 16, 2022 5:30 pm (CST)

• Call in number: 800-779-8625
• Participant passcode: 3472916

Note that the comment meetings will start at 5:30 pm (CST) and will terminate once all participants wishing to comment have had the opportunity to do so, or at 7:30 pm (CST), whichever comes first. The primary goal of these comment meetings is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the final environmental impact statement. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter present on the line. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted, and is in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As a reminder, the Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project; You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing” as the filing type; and You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-465-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) invites you to attend one of the virtual public comment meetings it will conduct by telephone on the Line 200 and Line 300 Project draft environmental impact statement.

Driftwood proposes to construct and operate dual 42-inch-diameter natural gas pipelines originating near the town of Ragley in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana southward to a proposed receiver facility near the town of Carlyss in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.

The FERC staff concludes that construction and operation of the Project would result in some adverse environmental impacts. Most of these impacts would be temporary and occur during construction (e.g., impacts on land use, traffic, and noise). With the exception of climate change impacts, that are not characterized in this EIS as significant or insignificant, we conclude that Project effects would not be significant based on implementation of Driftwood’s impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, as well as their adherence to our recommendations. Other than the non-significant impacts on environmental justice communities associated with the construction and operation of Meter Station 7 and Meter Station 9, we conclude that the Project would not result in disproportionately high or adverse impacts on environmental justice communities.

Docket Nos. CP21-465-000, CP21-465-001, CP21-465-002

Date, Time, and Call-in Information

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 5:30 pm (CST)

• Call in number: 800-779-8625
• Participant passcode: 3472916

Note that the comment meetings will start at 5:30 pm (CST) and will terminate once all participants wishing to comment have had the opportunity to do so, or at 7:30 pm (CST), whichever comes first. The primary goal of these comment meetings is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the final environmental impact statement. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter present on the line. This format is designed to receive the maximum amount of oral comments, in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted, and is in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As a reminder, the Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project; You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing” as the filing type; and You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP21-465-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852

Atmospheric methane continues to rocket up at record rates, NOAA reported yesterday. As fracking booms, methane levels increased by 17 parts per billion in 2021, breaking the 2020 record of 15.3 ppb. Concentrations of this powerful greenhouse pollutant are now 162 percent of their pre-industrial levels, as the Biden administration pushes for more natural gas production and export.

I will take this moment to remind readers that the EPA is undercounting methane pollution by 77 percent.

The essential Kate Aronoff castigates the incoherence of Democrats in Congress who claim to care about the climate crisis begging oil CEOs to increase fossil-fuel production, instead of acting to take their billions in windfall profits and stop their greenhouse pollution:

Appealing to these CEOs’ better angels is pointless. Although they hand fossil fuel companies billions in subsidies each year, American policymakers mostly confine themselves to begging or berating them into doing what they want.

As Adam Tooze writes in his review of three recent books by Andreas Malm:

To harp on the climate crisis while doing nothing about it is, in the long run, intolerable. Liberals’ failures make Trump look honest. He may deny the science, but at least he’s true to himself.

Commission meeting held in Commission Meeting Room (Room 2C) at FERC Headquarters, 888 First St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426

Link to meeting webcast when live

Meeting agenda
ADMINISTRATIVE
A-1	AD22-1-000	Agency Administrative Matters
A-2	AD22-2-000	Customer Matters, Reliability, Security and Market Operations
ELECTRIC
E-1	EL21-66-001	Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc., Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation v. New York Independent System Operator Inc.
	ER21-1647-002 (not consolidated)	New York Independent System Operator, Inc. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation
E-2	ER21-1115-003	Duke Energy Progress, LLC and Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
	ER21-1118-003	Louisville Gas and Electric Company
	ER21-1125-003	Alabama Power Company
	ER21-1128-003	Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc.
E-3	ER21-1111-005	Alabama Power Company
	ER21-1112-005	Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc.
	ER21-1114-005	Louisville Gas and Electric Company
	ER21-1116-005	Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
	ER21-1117-005	Duke Energy Progress, LLC
	ER21-1119-005	Georgia Power Company
	ER21-1120-005	Kentucky Utilities Company
	ER21-1121-005 (Not consolidated)	Mississippi Power Company
E-4	OMITTED
E-5	ER22-865-000	Glaciers Edge Wind Project, LLC
E-6	EL10-56-000	Western Electricity Coordinating Council
E-7	ER21-2401-001	Oliver Wind Energy Center II, LLC’
E-8	EF21-3-000	Bonneville Power Administration
E-9	ER21-2179-001	Oliver Wind I, LLC
E-10	ER21-1807-003	Hill Top Energy Center LLC
E-11	ER21-2860-001	The Connecticut Light and Power Company
E-12	EL22-27-000	Alabama Power Company, Georgia Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company
E-13	ER18-194-000	Southwest Power Pool, Inc. and American Electric Power Service Corporation
	ER18-195-000
E-14	ER18-1106-002	Kestrel Acquisition, LLC
E-15	EL22-8-000	Irradiant Partners, LP
E-16	EL21-98-000	Pacific Gas and Electric Company
GAS
G-1	RP22-433-000	Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC and Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC v. Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
	RP22-435-000 (Not Consolidated)	Range Resources-Appalachia, LLC v. Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
G-2	RP21-1001-002	Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
G-3	RP21-957-000	Northern Natural Gas Company
HYDRO
H-1	P-14227-005	The Nevada Hydro Company, Inc.
H-2	P-15229-000	Alabama Power Company
Certificates
C-1	PL18-1-001	Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Facilities
	PL21-3-001	Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Natural Gas Infrastructure Project Reviews
C-2	CP20-527-000	Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC
C-3	CP20-50-000	Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C.
	CP20-51-000	Southern Natural Gas Company, L.L.C.
C-4	CP20-48-000	Iroquois Gas Transmission System,L.P.
C-5	CP15-554-004	Atlantic Coast Pipeline,LLC
	CP15-554-005
	CP15-554-006
	CP15-554-007
	CP15-554-009
	CP15-555-003	Dominion Energy Transmission, Inc.
	CP15-555-004
	CP15-555-005
	CP15-555-007	Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage, Inc.
C-6	CP17-458-015	Midship Pipeline Company, LLC
C-7	CP21-28-000	Northern Natural Gas Company

The purpose of the hearing is to review recent actions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relating to permitting construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and other natural gas infrastructure projects.

Manchin reaction:

“Today’s (Thursday) reckless decision by FERC’s Democratic Commissioners puts the security of our nation at risk. The commission went too far by prioritizing a political agenda over their main mission — ensuring our nation’s energy reliability and security. The only thing they accomplished today was constructing additional road blocks that further delay building out the energy infrastructure our country desperately needs. Energy independence is our greatest geopolitical and economic tool and we cannot lose sight of that as instability rises around the globe.”

Barrasso reaction:

“President Biden is trumpeting the importance of infrastructure at the same time his appointees are working to kill energy infrastructure. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is determined to make it nearly impossible for Americans to maintain or improve access to abundant and affordable supplies of natural gas. Delaying and then denying approval of natural gas pipelines and storage facilities will only drive up already-inflated energy prices. It also threatens natural gas and electric reliability. This is just the latest attack in Biden’s war on American energy.”

Bill Cassidy (R-La.) reaction:

“Our nation depends on clear-minded, nonpartisan policy, not activists carrying out an ideological and political agenda. Yesterday, FERC said it will defy the Natural Gas Act by no longer considering only whether a project is “needed” when granting new natural gas permits. Rather, they will also consider environmental justice and climate impacts that will be determined behind closed doors. This FERC policy announcement all but guarantees no new natural gas construction permits will be issued this year and amounts to a defacto natural gas export ban. All the while, Europe is dependent on Russian natural gas and we are in the midst of a global energy crisis hurting Americans’ pocketbooks. The vacuum of energy production will be filled by foreign countries with lower environmental standards which will increase global emissions. This administration could not be writing worse energy policy.”

Witnesses:

• Richard Glick, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Biden/Democratic appointee
• James Danly, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Trump/Republican appointee (dissented)
• Allison Clements, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Trump/Democratic appointee
• Mark C. Christie, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Trump/Republican appointee (dissented)
• Willie L. Phillips, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Biden/Democratic appointee

The oft-repeated claim that the United States has significantly reduced its greenhouse pollution since 2005 by switching from coal to gas depends on the EPA’s official accounting that methane pollution has declined during the fracking boom, an implausible scenario.

Today, the International Energy Agency revealed in a major report that methane pollution from the fossil-fuel industry is 70 percent higher than official figures globally. Their Global Methane Tracker finds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been seriously undercounting methane pollution. The IEA estimate of 2021 methane pollution is 77 percent higher than the EPA’s inventory:

Not surprisingly, that cancels out all the purported climate benefits of switching electricity production from coal to natural gas.

Furthermore, the U.S. EPA calculates the effect of methane on global warming by using its impact over 100 years, which is about 30 times that of CO₂, instead of more scientifically defensible dynamic measures that take into account methane’s 20-year impact, which is 86 times that of CO₂.

3/7/20 Update: Russia invaded Ukraine the day after the IEA report dropped, so that may help explain why this report didn’t get too much attention. However, the oil and gas industry are claiming the invasion means we have to drill everywhere, and the Senate Energy Committee found time to attack FERC for regulating methane pollution. So I think there’s capacity to discuss this report and its shattering implications, which include the need for the United States to shut down the fracking boom as fast as humanly possible.

In its reconciliation package, the House of Representatives restored some of Biden’s requested funding for climate justice measures that had been slashed by the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan deal, but massive cuts remain.

If the White House heeds the “no double dip” deal it made with Senate centrists, the House funds will be eliminated.

Two Build Back Better climate-justice programs that were cut in the Senate’s infrastructure package (known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, or BIF) are funded at or above President Biden’s requested levels:

• Building electric vehicle charging stations, raised $15 billion to $21 billion
• Replacing the nation’s lead pipes, fully restored to $45 billion

However, most face massive cuts, with no prospect for improvement:

• Reconnecting minority communities cut off by highway projects, cut 79% from $24 billion to $4.95 billion
• Investing in electric school buses, cut 63% from $20 billion to $7.5 billion
• Road safety, including “vision zero” programs to protect pedestrians, cut 45% from $20 billion to $11 billion (only $100 million added)
• Upgrading and modernizing America’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, cut 40% from $56 billion to $33.7 billion
• Repairing and modernizing public transit, cut 36% from $85 billion to $54 billion
• Broadband infrastructure, cut 31% from $100 billion to $69 billion
• Investing in passenger and freight rail, cut 5% from $80 billion to $76 billion

Furthermore, the House added on additional funding for the programs that act as bailouts for polluters:

• Capping orphan wells, increased to $18.5 billion, 16% over Biden’s request
• Brownfield and Superfund, increased to $20 billion, three times Biden’s request

The BIF includes the Civil Nuclear Credit Program, a $6 billion bailout fund for existing nuclear plants.

The Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a major climate initiative in the House reconciliation package, establishing a sort of carbon cap-and-trade system for electric utilities with the goal of increasing low-carbon electricity production to 80 percent of the mix by 2030. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has indicated his desire to modify the CEPP to lower its standards to support natural-gas plants.

Speaking at the Davos World Economic Forum, US Climate Envoy John Kerry offered a strong critique of natural gas: “Gas is primarily methane, and we have a huge methane problem, folks.”

Kerry was responding to Shell CEO Ben van Breundel’s argument that the US government should reduce demand for fossil fuels and not take action to reduce production by companies like Shell.

UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed offered an even more blunt criticism of van Breundel’s argument that we can drill our way out of global warming: “You can’t be talking about new [fossil-fuel exploration and production], when the science tells you have to reduce that production 6 percent per annum and you’re increasing by 2 percent.”

The 2009 EIA conference is being held April 7-8 at the Washington Convention Center.

Please register onsite at the Walter E Washington Convention Center starting at 7:30am on Tuesday, April 7th.

Tuesday agenda

7:30 AM	Registration and Badging
9:00 AM	Plenary
	Welcome – Howard Gruenspecht Acting Administrator, Energy Information Administration Keynote Address – Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy Energy and the Macroeconomy – William D. Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics, Yale University Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World – John W. Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exelon Corporation
10:30 AM	Break
	Concurrent Sessions
11:00 AM	(1) The Future for Transport Demand (2) What’s Ahead for Natural Gas Markets? Moderator: Andy Kydes (EIA) Moderator: Steve Harvey (EIA) Speakers: Lew Fulton (International Energy Agency) David Greene (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Lee Schipper (Precourt Institute, Stanford University) Speakers: Brian Jeffries (Wyoming Pipeline Authority) James Simpson (BENTEK Energy, LLC) Rick Smead (Navigant Consulting) John Strom (Haddington Ventures, LLC) Christine Tezak
12:30 PM	Lunch Break
1:45 PM	(3) Meeting the Growing Demand for Liquids (4) Electric Power Infrastructure: Status and Challenges for the Future Moderator: Glen Sweetnam (EIA) Moderator: Scott Sitzer (EIA) Speakers: Eduardo González-Pier (PEMEX) David Knapp (Energy Intelligence Group) Fareed Mohamedi (PFC Energy) Speakers: P. Kumar Agarwal (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) Timothy J. Brennan (University of Maryland) Mark G. Lauby (North American Electric Reliability Corporation)
3:15 PM	Break
3:30 PM	(5) Renewable Energy in the Transportation and Power Sectors (6) Financial Markets and Short-Term Energy Prices Moderator: Michael Schaal (EIA) Moderator: Tancred Lidderdale (EIA) Speakers: Denise Bode (American Wind Energy Association) Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) Bryan Hannegan (Electric Power Research Institute) David Humbird (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Speakers: Jeffrey Harris (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) Robert McCullough (McCullough Research) Adam E. Sieminski (Deutsche Bank) Robert Weiner (George Washington University)
5:00 PM	Adjourn

Renewable natural gas is an important part of the portfolio of clean energy solutions needed to answer the climate and energy challenges that are before us today.

This congressional briefing will bring together a panel of policy and industry experts, and answer the following questions:

• What is renewable natural gas?
• What are its energy and environmental benefits?
• What are its economic benefits—how does it help communities and create jobs?
• What are the legislative proposals that would support its expansion?

Presented by:

• American Gas Association
• Business Council for Sustainable Energy
• Gas Technology Institute

Opening and Objectives

• Jeff Petrash, Senior Managing Counsel, American Gas Association
• Lisa Jacobson, Executive Director, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Program

Panel 1: What is Renewable Natural Gas & How Does it Benefit the Environment

• Dan Lefevers, Executive Director, Gas Technology Institute
• Chris Voell, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (invited)

Panel II: Renewable Biogas – Helping Communities and Creating Jobs

• Rich Kessel, President & CEO, Environmental Power Corporation
• Marisa Uchin, Manager, Federal Government Affairs, PG&E Corporation

Question & Answer and Closing Remarks

Please RSVP to Shirleen Timbers at stimbers@aga.org or (202) 824-7209.