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FERC unanimously approves consent agenda, greenlights Rio Grande LNG certificate and Golden Triangle storage expansion
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Summary
At its March open meeting, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted unanimously to approve a consent agenda that included certificates for the Rio Grande LNG export terminal and a Golden Triangle storage expansion; commissioners also praised SPP's consolidated planning process and discussed pipeline packaging practices.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted unanimously to approve its consent agenda at the March 2026 open meeting, clearing multiple electric, gas, hydro and certificate items including the Rio Grande LNG export facility and a Golden Triangle natural gas storage expansion.
Chairman Sweatt said the Commission would "move forward with the Rio Grande LNG export facility today," describing the terminal as projected to supply roughly "6% of current global demand" when built and saying the project will create more than 5,000 regional jobs. He also highlighted the Golden Triangle storage expansion, which the briefing stated will add about 31 billion cubic feet of working gas capacity.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the approvals as part of broader efforts to ensure reliability and affordability. Several commissioners praised SPP’s consolidated planning process (CPP) as a model to shorten interconnection queues and increase cost certainty for developers. At the same time, the panel discussed concerns about certain pipeline open‑season practices — described in the record as “Junk and Jewel” — and stressed the need for case‑specific complaints where evidence of unfair packaging exists rather than an across‑the‑board rulemaking.
The vote: After the Secretary read the consent items, the Commission proceeded to a roll call. Commissioners Lacerte, Chang, Seay, Rosner and Chairman Sweatt each voted aye. The Secretary announced the consent agenda included Electric items E1–E18, Gas item G1, Hydro H2, and Certificates C1–C6.
What the orders say: During opening remarks, commissioners characterized the Rio Grande LNG and storage orders as consistent with the agency’s statutory roles under the Natural Gas Act and the Commission’s certificate precedent. Commissioner Lacerte noted the record history of some long‑running certificate matters and said the Commission’s findings reaffirmed that the projects were "not inconsistent with the public interest under Section 3 of the NGA" and required by the public convenience and necessity under NGA Section 7 as applicable.
Next steps: The Commission did not take separate roll calls on individual consent items during the meeting. The full dockets and orders will be posted on FERC’s website; staff and stakeholders will follow implementation steps for each certificate as specified in the orders.
