Notice2026-01706
Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC; Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Pine Prairie Energy Center Phase IV Expansion Project
Primary source
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Published
January 28, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 18 (Wednesday, January 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3720-3721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01706]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP25-533-000]
Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Pine Prairie Energy Center
Phase IV Expansion Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Pine
Prairie Energy Center Phase IV Expansion Project, proposed by Pine
Prairie Energy Center, LLC (Pine Prairie) in the above-referenced
docket.\1\ Pine Prairie requests authorization to construct additional
natural gas storage and pipeline facilities at an existing natural gas
storage facility in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, and modify certain
facilities previously authorized by the Commission but not constructed.
Further, Pine Prairie seeks authorization to amend its certificated
total storage capacity to 87.2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas
(61.1 Bcf of working gas and 26.1 Bcf of base gas) and reduce the
maximum daily delivery capability from 3.2 Bcf/day to 3.0 Bcf/day.
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\1\ For tracking purposes under the National Environmental
Policy Act, the unique identification number for documents relating
to this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1758873996.
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Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. To ensure
consideration of your comments on the proposal prior to making a
decision on the project, it is important that the Commission receive
your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 23, 2026.
Instructions for filing comments are provided on page 3.
FERC is the lead federal agency for authorizing interstate natural
gas transmission facilities under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (NGA) and
the lead federal agency for preparation of the EA. The EA assesses the
potential environmental effects of the Project in accordance with the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) \2\ and
the Commission's implementing regulations.\3\ The principal purposes of
the EA are to: identify and assess the potential effects on the natural
and human environment; describe and evaluate reasonable alternatives;
identify and recommend mitigation measures; and facilitate public
involvement in the environmental review process. The EA concludes that
approval of the proposed project would not constitute a major federal
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
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\2\ National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended
(Public Law [Pub. L.] 91-190. 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended by
Pub. L. 94-52, July 3, 1975; Pub. L. 94-83, August 9, 1975; Pub. L.
97-258, 4(b), September 13, 1982; Pub. L. 118-5, June 3, 2023; Pub.
L. 119-21, July 4, 2025).
\3\ 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 380.
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The EA addresses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the following project facilities:
<bullet> a new natural gas storage cavern (Cavern No. 6);
<bullet> 0.16-mile of natural gas, fresh water, and brine return
pipelines that would interconnect with existing systems;
<bullet> new brine filtration, gas heating, and dehydration
equipment, and demolition of existing out-of-service brine filtration
equipment;
<bullet> a new 19,000-horsepower electric motor-driven compressor
unit in an extension of the existing compressor building;
<bullet> about 2.4 miles of 30-inch-diameter header loop pipeline;
and
<bullet> modification of the existing ANR-North Meter Station and
Highway 10 Valve Site.
The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the
EA to federal, state, and local government representatives and
agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups;
Native American tribes; potentially affected landowners and
[[Page 3721]]
other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries
in the project area. The EA is only available in electronic format. It
may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>), on
the natural gas environmental documents page (<a href="https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents">https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/environment/environmental-documents</a>). In
addition, the EA may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the
FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (<a href="https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search">https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search</a>), select ``General Search'' and enter the docket number
in the ``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e.
CP25-533). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d791b2a5b498b9bbbeb9b284a2a7a7b8a5a397b1b2a5b4f9b0b8a1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="efa98a9d8ca0818386818abc9a9f9f809d9baf898a9d8cc1888099">[email protected]</span></a> or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659.
The EA is not a decision document. It presents Commission staff's
independent analysis of the environmental issues for the Commission to
consider when addressing the merits of all issues in this proceeding.
Under section 7(c) of the NGA, the Commission determines whether
interstate natural gas transportation facilities are in the public
convenience and necessity and, if so, grants a Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity to construct and operate them. The Commission
bases its decisions on both economic issues, including need, and
environmental effects. Section 7(b) of the NGA specifies that no
natural gas company shall abandon any portion of its facilities subject
to the Commission's jurisdiction without the Commission first finding
that the abandonment will not negatively affect the present or future
public convenience and necessity.
Your comments should focus on the EA's disclosure and discussion of
potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures
to avoid or lessen environmental effects. The more specific your
comments, the more useful they will be. For your convenience, there are
three methods you can use to file your comments to the Commission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff
available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c482a1b6a78baaa8adaaa197b1b4b4abb6b084a2a1b6a7eaa3abb2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="74321106173b1a181d1a11270104041b060034121106175a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>. Please carefully follow these instructions
so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) under the link to
FERC Online. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only
comments on a project;
(2) You can also file your comments electronically using the
eFiling feature on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) under the
link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a
variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission.
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on
``eRegister.'' You must select the type of filing you are making. If
you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select
``Comment on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (CP25-
533-000) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status,
but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of
the Commission's decision. At this point in this proceeding, the
timeframe for filing timely intervention requests has expired. Any
person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion
to intervene out-of-time pursuant to Rule 214(b)(3) and (d) of the
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and
(d)) and show good cause why the time limitation should be waived.
Motions to intervene are more fully described at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene">https://www.ferc.gov/how-intervene</a>.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office
of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#da958a8a9abcbfa8b9f4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="19564949597f7c6b7a377e766f">[email protected]</span></a>. Additional
information about the project is available from the FERC website
(<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also provides
access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to
register for eSubscription.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: January 23, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-01706 Filed 1-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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