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A freshman Republican senator with a background in natural gas infrastructure is pushing legislation that would consolidate federal oversight of American energy projects, from interstate pipelines to liquefied natural gas terminals, in what supporters frame as a structural answer to China's growing energy advantage.
Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma, appointed this year to fill the seat vacated by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, introduced the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026 after stepping down as chief executive of Williams Companies, an Oklahoma-based natural gas processor and transporter.
What the Legislation Would Do The bill's central mechanism shifts permitting authority over interstate pipelines and LNG export terminals to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, making FERC the lead federal agency in those approvals.
Critically, the change would prevent a single state from blocking a federally authorised interstate project — a provision that has frustrated pipeline developers under current law.
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