Thought Piece

Thinking like the majority of FERC Commissioners ruled, I disagree with the Blue Virginia’s editorial response to the ruling, but I am quite impressed by the Marcellus Drilling News publisher, Jim Willis: He included the “Blue Virginia” response in his FERC approval piece and gave Lowell Feld the last word. There is something civil and upright about Jim’s editing. After many years of bipartisanship, the FERC has become politicized, like many other federal agencies. While I have had many years of involvement with the FERC and some previous commissioners, I admit to mourning the loss of a bipartisan point of view from the agency responsible for US grid.

FERC Denies Rehearing Request for Mountain Valley Pipe 3-2

 Energy Services, EQT Midstream, Industrywide Issues, Pipelines, Regulation

In May MDN told you that Big Green groups were successful in getting the U.S. District Court of Appeals for D.C. to force the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to either move forward with, or reject a rehearing request on their decision to approve the Mountain Valley Pipeline (see Fed Court Forces FERC to Decide on MVP Rehearing, No More Delays). MVP a $3.5 billion, 301-mile pipeline that will run from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA–to move Marcellus/Utica gas south. Last Friday FERC obeyed the court and voted 3-2 against rehearing their previous decision to approve the project. Yes, the two Democrat Commissioners voted to rehear the decision–meaning they want to stop MVP. The two Dems have been co-opted by Big Green and Big Democrats and now apparently don’t/won’t think for themselves. It’s a scary proposition for “someday” when Dems regain the White House and can once again pack FERC with a majority–which will stop any new pipeline projects cold. Scary thought. At any rate, FERC’s Republicans made powerful and persuasive arguments for why the original decision to approve MVP was/is correct and doesn’t need to be revisited. Bottom line: Big Green is no doubt at the courthouse even as you read this filing a lawsuit against FERC and their decision. They could not file the lawsuit prior to a rehearing denial by FERC. Now that FERC has told Big Green to buzz off, a lawsuit to try and stop MVP is 100% certain to follow…

To view the rest of the article click here https://marcellusdrilling.com/2018/06/ferc-denies-rehearing-request-for-mountain-valley-pipe-3-2/