The pipeline industry is booming but safety regulators face challenges

The federal government’s pipeline safety watchdog is facing a budget crunch because of partisan politics and increased regulatory responsibility as companies build out thousands of miles of new pipelines. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down how even though the pipeline industry is booming, US regulators are struggling to keep up. Plus, people uprooted by natural disasters will now be eligible for tens of thousands of additional dollars from the federal government.    For more news on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro:  https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy   Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO.  Ben Lefebvre is an energy reporter for POLITICO.  Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer.  Annie Rees is a senior audio producer-host at POLITICO.  Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO.  Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.