Feb 18, 2022 - Energy & Environment
Gas pipelines get more federal emissions scrutiny
- Ben Geman, author of Axios Generate
A liquefied natural gas station on the Isle of Grain near Rochester in the U.K. on Jan. 4. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Federal officials are revising their process for considering proposed natural gas pipelines by giving new weight to their climate effects.
Catch up fast: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued two new policies Thursday.
- One addresses emissions from pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.
- The other is about how they evaluate pipeline economic and environmental benefits and harms more broadly, including effects on disadvantaged communities.
- FERC voted 3-2 on the plans, with GOP members in opposition.
What we're watching: Whether the efforts will have tangible effects on project decisions and the bureaucratic pace.
What they're saying: Chairman Richard Glick said the measures will improve the "legal durability" of FERC decisions and ensure evaluations reflect a broader range of stakeholder interests.
- But GOP commissioner Mark Christie attacked the changes and called them unfair to developers with projects under review.
- "Changing the rules in the middle of the game violates any serious principle of due process, regulatory certainty, and just basic fairness," he said.
Go deeper: US overhauls review policy for gas pipelines, LNG (Argus Media)