SAFER Pipelines Act of 2021

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to apply certain procedures before granting a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a proposed pipeline project, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Safe and Accountable Federal Energy Review for Pipelines Act of 2021 SAFER Pipelines Act of 2021 2. Approval of new natural gas pipelines Section 7(e) of the Natural Gas Act ( 15 U.S.C. 717f(e) (1) by inserting (1) Except in the cases (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) Before granting a certificate for a proposed pipeline expansion project, the Commission shall— (A) conduct— (i) a full evidentiary hearing on any contested issue of need for the expansion; or (ii) a cumulative review of major energy infrastructure projects planned throughout the region of the expansion, their purported purpose and need, and their prospective impacts on State and regional energy goals; and (B) consider— (i) the existence of underutilized or inefficient use of existing pipeline capacity; (ii) the effect of approval on existing customers of other pipelines; (iii) an analysis of demonstrated regional needs for the additional natural gas, including consideration of the existence of precedent contracts; (iv) consistency with the State’s clean power plan, State Implementation Plan, renewable energy goals, and renewable portfolio standard; (v) the region’s ability to meet any deficiency in energy needs through energy efficiency, dual fuel sources, LNG storage, or other economically viable and less environmentally disruptive measures than pipeline infrastructure; and (vi) Federal renewable energy goals. (3) In the case of an interstate natural gas pipeline project, for purposes of the due process requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 42 U.S.C. 4321 (A) for a 1-year period prior to the filing of the project application with the Commission; and (B) before the issuance of the draft environmental impact statement. (4) The Commission shall require all approved and constructed natural gas pipeline projects to undertake a five-year monitoring program to confirm that the environmental impacts identified in any environmental impact statement or analysis conducted with respect to the project have been mitigated. .

Summary: Safe and Accountable Federal Energy Review for Pipelines Act of 2021 or the SAFER Pipelines Act of 2021 This bill revises the process used by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review a pipeline expansion project. Before granting a certificate for a proposed pipeline expansion project, FERC must conduct (1) a full evidentiary hearing on any contested issue of need for the expansion; or (2) a cumulative review of major energy infrastructure projects planned throughout the region of the expansion, their purported purpose and need, and their prospective impacts on state and regional energy goals. In addition, the bill outlines criteria FERC must consider before granting such a certificate. In addition to existing environmental review requirements, FERC must meet new environmental review requirements for interstate natural gas pipeline projects, including the requirement to consider the cumulative impacts of other natural gas pipeline projects as specified by this bill.Finally, FERC must monitor approved pipeline projects for five years to ensure that environmental mitigation steps have been implemented.