While the entire country has struggled with the high cost of energy, the pain has been particularly felt in the Pacific Northwest. For years, this region has faced sky high energy prices that fuel a larger cost of living crisis. That is why consumers in these states would be outraged to learn that a key project to provide reliable and affordable energy is being delayed at an independent regulatory agency called Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) because of pressure from politicians.
If the U.S. regulatory system were working as designed, the Gas Transmission Northwest XPress Project (GTNXP) would have already been approved with little controversy. The critical project to provide increased natural gas supply to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California fills a clear desperate need for these states and a region already facing high energy costs. That is not just the assessment of the key stakeholders who would benefit from the project. That is the assessment of FERC itself.
After endless delays, nearly six months ago, FERC determined GTN XPress was “required by the public convenience and necessity” and approved the project. This should have been a no brainer. The project has met every single safety and environmental regulatory requirement. However, despite the slam dunk case for the project to move forward, it continues to be stalled. This has nothing to do with any legitimate issues raised in a regulatory process. It has everything to do with a political process.
As part of a political agenda to oppose any non-renewable forms of energy, certain politicians from Washington and Oregon, have mobilized to stop the GTN Xpress. The latest scheme came in the form of a letter from the States of Oregon and Washington, to try to halt construction of the project. Though FERC is meant to be an independent agency that rules on the merits, this political pressure campaign has so far worked to slow down the process.
This effort at sabotage has little to do with the reality of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, a stable and reliable supply of natural gas is needed to support the growth of renewable energy in the region. Stopping all natural gas projects, regardless of their merits, will do little but saddle consumers with high prices.
However, FERC can finally put this issue to bed by issuing an order on the merits and allowing GTN XPress to begin construction. FERC is supposed to be an independent agency that is free from this kind of political sabotage campaign, but unfortunately that mission is hard to square with how GTN XPress has been held up. Getting this project done would not only be critical for the Pacific Northwest, but it would also help preserve FERC’s reputation as an honest broker that stays above the political fray and is free from the normal dysfunction of Washington.
If it had not been for this political gamesmanship, the GTN XPress would have been finished by last winter. Now, it remains an open question how many more winters the region will have to endure without this source of energy to stabilize prices. FERC must do the right thing to ensure consumers in the Pacific Northwest will not be left out in the cold for yet another unaffordable winter.
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