The unanimous confirmation of Neil Chatterjee and Rob Powelson to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has finally returned a quorum to the board. It can now resume granting certifications for major interstate natural gas pipeline projects.

It’s about time. The backlog of major natural pipeline projects awaiting review and a decision has been accumulating in the six months that FERC lacked a quorum. More than 30 such projects in various steps of the certification process were relegated to regulatory limbo. Other projects that may have been filed with FERC may have held off due to the regulatory uncertainty at the agency.