Annie Kuster: “I thank Ranking Member Kaptur. I rise today to speak about the importance of the funding of the Office of Public…”

“I thank Ranking Member Kaptur. I rise today to speak about the importance of the funding of the Office of Public Participation within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, known fondly to us as the FERC, an office that has never been active despite prior authorization. With the expansion of natural gas infrastructure in the Northeast and across the country, it makes sense that we finally fund the Office of Public Participation to better incorporate the voices of average citizens in FERC proceedings and provide robust outreach efforts to communities and individuals that are impacted by energy projects. Considering the broad authority that the FERC has over domestic energy markets and its control over the approval of energy infrastructure projects, average citizens simply do not have a sufficient public interest presence on the national level. With 27 States offering an existing consumer advocacy office, it is imperative that a similar national office be established within the FERC. Constituents in my home State of New Hampshire are all too familiar with feeling shut out of the FERC process. The recently withdrawn Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline would have impacted 18 small towns across my district and into the neighboring district.…”