Lawmakers advocate regional LNG plan

WASHINGTON – New England lawmakers, including Maine Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud, are calling for a new regional approach to siting liquefied natural gas facilities, pointedly urging federal regulators to adopt a “rational process” for approving new projects.

The congressmen, who are seeking a meeting with Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, said Thursday the current project-by-project review of proposed LNG facilities by federal regulators is not good for New England.

“We believe that this ad hoc approach is unsuitable for New England and that a more comprehensive and regional approach is required,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to Bodman.

Energy Department officials said they will be in Boston March 10 for a public meeting.

“Secretary Bodman agrees that a regional approach is best and that is why he has announced a series of discussions, around the country, between department officials and local citizens,” said Energy Department spokesman Craig Stevens. “We are looking forward to the discussion. … We want to make sure that all parties are at the table as we move forward.”

Bruce Berman, spokesman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a Massachusetts environmental advocacy group, said federal regulators should consider all 17 LNG proposals, stretching from New Jersey to Canada, in light of the region’s overall energy needs. Three projects have been proposed for Maine, all in Washington County.

“We think it makes perfect sense to look at them as a group,” said Berman, whose group is leading a coalition against a proposed LNG terminal on Boston Harbor’s Outer Brewster Island. “No one thinks we need all 17 projects.”

Officials at Weaver’s Cove Energy, whose proposed terminal in Fall River, Mass. has won FERC approval, were skeptical about the call by lawmakers for a regional approach.

“Frankly, it is unclear how this regional process would work and what would make it superior to the process we have today, which seems to work very well elsewhere in the country,” said Weaver’s Cove spokeswoman Marcia MacClary.

Weaver’s Cove opponents have filed an appeal in federal court against the project.

In their letter, the congressmen noted that several agencies currently share responsibility for federal approval of new LNG terminals.

“This assortment of responsible agencies means that close coordination is critical, but unfortunately, this is not happening,” the congressmen wrote.

The lawmakers also expressed concern that the current process “treats each LNG facility in isolation, rather than in conjuncture with other proposed facilities.”

FERC said while it is the lead federal agency on LNG proposals, it does coordinate with other federal and state agencies, particularly the Coast Guard and Department of Transportation.

“We actively coordinate with all other federal agencies,” said FERC spokesman Bryan Lee.

Lee also denied the lawmakers’ contention that FERC considers applications without regard to other proposals on the table.

“The commission does not look at applications in isolation,” said Lee.