The House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a Dec. 5 hearing on the subject “Evaluating the Role of FERC in a Changing Energy Landscape.”
Given the energy resurgence the U.S. is presently experiencing, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s regulatory authority over electricity, natural gas, oil, liquefied natural gas terminals, and hydropower licensing has become increasingly important, said the committee in a Nov. 26 statement about its hearing schedule.
The hearing will focus on the legal and regulatory authorities of FERC and the manner in which it carries out its statutory duties under the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, and other authorities. Subcommittee members will have the opportunity to assess FERC’s role in facilitating this new era of energy “abundance” and its plans to carry out its statutory duties.
The energy abundance the panel will be looking at would apparently be due to the large amounts of natural gas being produced from shale plays around the country. The term abundance could also apply to other areas, including hydro, wind and solar development.
