FERC Wants a Fast Lane for Routine LNG Plant Work. Keep the Safety Checks and Clear the Paperwork
On Oct. 20, federal energy regulators proposed letting LNG export plants handle well-understood upgrades under a "blanket" program like the one pipelines have used since 1982, with 60- and 90-day public notice. In our view, it is overdue and carefully fenced.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 20, 2026 | 6-min read Pipelines in America have enjoyed a simple, sensible deal since 1982: routine work on a federally approved line does not need a brand-new federal case every time. LNG plants, the giant export terminals that ship American natural gas to allies, never got that deal. On Tuesday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposed to change that [1]. In our view, it is overdue, and the guardrails FERC wrote in show it can be done without cutting corners on safety. Key Takeaways FERC proposed on Oct. 20 to let LNG plants carry out certain activities "without case-specific authorization orders" under sections 3 or 7 of the Natural Gas Act [1]. The plan copies the pipeline "blanket certificate" program FERC created in 1982, with some work authorized automatically and larger work allowed only after public prior notice [1]. Prior-notice projects would get either a 60-day or a 90-day notice period; the 90-day tier covers new liquefaction trains, LNG tanks and marine berths outside a plant's footprint [1]. FERC estimates the change would shift about 3 projects a year out of the case-by-case process, a 3% burden reduction, and says it "would not change the total number of projects that would