Federal energy officials need to fish, as the saying goes, or cut bait.

After five years of argument, anticipation and anxiety, the Bay Area deserves a ruling on a liquefied natural gas terminal — not perpetual, unexplained delay.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s monthly agenda once again has omitted the Jordan Cove Energy Project. Interested observers speculate Senate review of a FERC appointee caused the delay. Maybe so. Officially, though, we’re left dangling without explanation.

Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, makes some persuasive arguments for why FERC’s silence is unacceptable. He notes that FERC so far has approved only one Oregon LNG project, the one at Bradwood Landing on the Columbia River. Since building more than one is economically implausible, delaying Jordan Cove constitutes a de facto endorsement of Bradwood. That contradicts FERC’s official neutrality.

Timing is another issue. An economy rising from recession is prime time for industrial investment. As long as the LNG project lingers in regulatory limbo, Coos Bay’s port and other local institutions are hamstrung in moving forward on other industrial ventures.

In short, whether FERC says yes or no, our community deserves an answer.

Bishop’s perspective is not universal. Jody McCaffree, the leading local voice of LNG opposition, commented this week that any delay is good for opponents. She’s probably right from a strategic standpoint. Official dithering invites investors to pull the plug on Jordan Cove. That outcome would please a significant segment of our community.

But even LNG opponents would agree with Bishop on this much: Our community is weary of this fight. We need to start shaping our future — either building an LNG plant, or finding other avenues to prosperity.

Local officials and Oregon’s congressional delegation should urge FERC to do its job.