North American Energy Act

S 1485, the North American Energy Act, creates a new federal certification process for new cross-border energy infrastructure projects. It requires companies to obtain a "certificate of crossing" from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (for oil/gas pipelines) or the Department of Energy (for electric transmission) before building or operating new border-crossing facilities, with a 90-day deadline for approval unless the project is deemed not in the public interest. The bill eliminates the need for Presidential permits for these projects and exempts existing facilities, pending permits, and projects with prior approvals. This directly affects energy companies planning new border infrastructure, streamlining federal review while maintaining environmental and reliability standards.