Kern Gets Speedy OK; Breathitt Questions Action  FERC moved with record speed to issue a certificate last week to Kern River  Gas Transmission for its 135 MMcf/d, mostly compression, expansion to the  natural gas-starved California market, but not all of the commissioners were  happy with the expedited manner in which the project was approved.
"The speed with which the Commission has acted in this proceeding is  something which will no doubt be touted as a great effort," but the  "precedent we have created could be a double-edged sword," warned  Commissioner Linda Breathitt in a partial dissent of the decision.
Although  she voted in favor of the certificate in the end, she questioned whether FERC  "should...be willing to sacrifice careful review for speedy action."
Breathitt further said she seriously doubted the so-called California Action  expansion of the 900-mile,Wyoming-to-California Kern River system merited the  "extraordinary regulatory treatment" that the Commission gave it.
Critics  claim that the $81 million project will not flow any more gas to the Wheeler  Ridge Interconnection in California than is currently available there, she  noted, adding that it would simply displace existing gas.
"...[I]t will not necessarily result in any net increase of natural gas in  the California marketplace.
This makes it difficult to understand just how  our approval of Kern River's proposal is going to assist in increasing  electric generation in California this summer," Breathitt said.
If anything,  she noted the project could make the congestion problem at Wheeler Ridge even  worse than it is.
There should have been a "fuller airing of this issue" at FERC before the  project was certificated, she noted.
"It would be counterproductive for this  Commission to act precipitously on projects related to California without  ensuring that they will, in reality, benefit specific markets --- and more

FERC ruling on Kern expansion

Kern Gets Speedy OK; Breathitt Questions Action FERC moved with record speed to issue a certificate last week to Kern River Gas Transmission for its <NUMBER> MMcf/d, mostly compression, expansion to the natural gas-starved California market, but not all of the commissioners were happy with the expedited manner in which the project was approved.
"The speed with which the Commission has acted in this proceeding is something which will no doubt be touted as a great effort," but the "precedent we have created could be a double-edged sword," warned Commissioner Linda Breathitt in a partial dissent of the decision.
Although she voted in favor of the certificate in the end, she questioned whether FERC "should...be willing to sacrifice careful review for speedy action."
Breathitt further said she seriously doubted the so-called California Action expansion of the <NUMBER>-mile,Wyoming-to-California Kern River system merited the "extraordinary regulatory treatment" that the Commission gave it.
Critics claim that the <CUR><NUMBER> million project will not flow any more gas to the Wheeler Ridge Interconnection in California than is currently available there, she noted, adding that it would simply displace existing gas.
"...[I]t will not necessarily result in any net increase of natural gas in the California marketplace.
This makes it difficult to understand just how our approval of Kern River's proposal is going to assist in increasing electric generation in California this summer," Breathitt said.
If anything, she noted the project could make the congestion problem at Wheeler Ridge even worse than it is.
There should have been a "fuller airing of this issue" at FERC before the project was certificated, she noted.
"It would be counterproductive for this Commission to act precipitously on projects related to California without ensuring that they will, in reality, benefit specific markets --- and more
fuller airing issue benefit specific markets approved speed commission ridge interconnection action ferc moved kern river gas doubt act precipitously projects ok breathitt double edged sword