WASHINGTON– Legislation authored by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) to reduce long wait times for federal approval of energy infrastructure projects passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.
A shortage of highly specialized engineers, scientists, and mathematicians tasked with reviewing construction applications at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has created a backlog of projects waiting to receive approval. Cassidy’s bill would improve the FERC’s ability to hire the qualified staff it needs to process project applications in a timely, effective manner.
Cassidy’s legislation would speed the extraction of energy commodities important to the Louisiana economy, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“The Committee’s vote was an important step toward ending decades-old limitations that stall LNG projects. We need to remove barriers delaying Louisiana workers from getting good-paying jobs within the energy sector,” said Dr. Cassidy.
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