The Trump administration is giving a defense-related boost to a contentious pipeline in the Northeast U.S. The Energy Department said Monday that it would give up to $42 million from the Defense Production Act for the Constitution Pipeline project that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York. The pipeline project was scrapped in…

The Trump administration is eyeing changes to the structure of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including less “centralization in Washington, D.C.,” according to two recent memos obtained by The Hill. One, sent out by FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton last week, said the agency “must reduce unnecessary centralization in Washington, D.C. and strengthen the roles…

The Trump administration is officially moving ahead with a decision to lease ocean tracts off the coast of American Samoa for deep-sea mining. The decision, announced Monday, would represent the first time the U.S. government has offered up offshore mining leases.  Large-scale deep-sea mining has never been done before, but the seafloor could contain valuable…

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  FERC moves to ease gas approvals Federal energy regulators have proposed setting up a program to speed up approvals for expanding the nation’s gas export facilities. © Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday proposed to limit notice and protest…

U.S. energy regulators have proposed establishing a program that would speed up approvals for expanding the nation’s gas export facilities The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposed Thursday to limit notice and protest periods to either 60 or 90 days for requested expansions to liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals.  FERC Chair Laura Swett (R) said…