FERC proposes blanket authorization program for some LNG facilities

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday proposed, for the first time, a blanket authorization program for certain liquefied natural gas facility activities, a potentially significant permitting change that could allow some projects to move ahead without separate, case-by-case commission orders.

The proposal, approved Oct. 15 in Docket No. RM26-2-001 by what FERC called a “historic, unanimous vote,” would create an LNG version of a streamlining tool the agency has long used for interstate natural-gas pipelines. If adopted, it could speed approvals for some LNG plant upgrades, expansions and new equipment while keeping specified federal safety, environmental and interagency reviews in place.

FERC said the proposed framework would apply to certain activities under Sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act, the law’s provisions that govern LNG import and export terminals and certificates for natural-gas infrastructure, respectively. The change would affect procedure, not the underlying statute. Unlike traditional LNG approvals, eligible work could proceed under blanket authorization rather than through a separate commission order for each project.

The proposed program has three tiers. The first would grant automatic authorization for certain activities that do not increase authorized capacity, expand a facility’s footprint or exceed design limits. The second would create a 60-day prior-notice process for some activities that may increase capacity but stay within the existing footprint and design limits.

A third tier would establish a 90-day prior-notice process for certain new LNG facilities, including liquefaction trains, tanks, marine berths and related auxiliary systems, subject to acreage and design limits. For projects outside an existing plant footprint, eligibility would be limited to facilities that permanently occupy no more than 25 acres of previously disturbed or developed land or waterways in industrial zones, or in areas without zoning, and that use in-kind or upgraded designs previously evaluated at the terminal.

FERC said the proposal is modeled on its long-standing blanket certificate program for pipelines, but with an important difference: There would be no project cost limits. Instead, eligibility would turn on the type and scale of the activity.

The proposal also sets guardrails for environmental and safety review. FERC staff would prepare a National Environmental Policy Act document for the rulemaking and for automatic authorizations generally, while prior-notice projects would receive project-specific NEPA review or categorical exclusions modeled on the pipeline program. Depending on the project, additional reviews and coordination could still be required, including a Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration letter of determination, or a finding that one is unnecessary; Department of Defense Clearinghouse concurrence for Section 3 projects; and, for some prior-notice Section 3 projects, U.S. Coast Guard letters and state or local emergency responder notifications or proof of notification.

FERC Chairman Laura V. Swett said in a news release: “American energy dominance requires us to build and maintain the energy infrastructure our country needs without unnecessary delay. I am immensely proud of FERC’s historic proposal. It shows what can be possible when we combine regulatory excellence, robust safeguards, and a firm commitment to the nation’s energy future. Consumers benefit when more energy infrastructure is online, dependable, and affordable, and FERC is helping make that future a reality.”

The proposal marks a break from FERC’s earlier approach to LNG. The commission historically limited blanket authorization rules to pipelines and had excluded LNG from blanket treatment in 1982 and again in 2006, on the view that LNG activities were not routine enough for streamlined approval.

FERC opened the current effort with a Notice of Inquiry issued Nov. 20, 2025, and said it received 18 comments. Interested parties will have 60 days to comment after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. Related materials are filed under RM26-2.