US eyes blanket LNG and hydropower authorizations to streamline energy infrastructure permitting

November 24th, 2025

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is seeking input on its move to cut the red tape for infrastructure permitting by establishing procedures for blanket authorizations related to certain activities at liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants and hydroelectric projects.

LNG tanker (for illustration purposes); Source: U.S. Department of Energy

While exploring blanket authorizations for LNG and hydroelectric projects, FERC hopes to provide regulatory certainty and fast-track infrastructure permitting. With this in mind, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has taken steps, including a vote to seek comments from stakeholders on establishing procedures for blanket authorizations for certain activities at such energy projects.

Laura Swett, FERC Chairman, commented: “Energy infrastructure needs to be built now, and existing projects need to be maintained efficiently to ensure grid reliability today and in the future. We are taking a hard look at our processes and ways we can simplify certain activities.”

FERC voted on two notices of inquiry (NOI). The first NOI (RM26-2-000) looks for information and stakeholder perspectives on whether, and if so how, the Commission should revise its regulations to establish streamlined procedures for authorizing activities at LNG plants without case-specific authorization orders under section 3 or section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA).

The second NOI (RM26-3-000) seeks comments on what changes, if any, FERC should make to streamline its processes for reviewing and authorizing post-licensing activities at hydropower facilities, entailing maintenance, repairs, and upgrades to hydropower project infrastructure, and on whether certain activities can be implemented by licensees without case-specific authorization from the Commission under the Federal Power Act.

According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, comments on both NOIs are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Following petitions from the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA), FERC also issued two orders to remove legislative requirements considered unnecessary, as they were causing delays in natural gas infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently unveiled a proposed notice of sale for the second of 30 planned offshore oil and gas lease sales under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.