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Feb 18, 2022 - Energy & Environment

Gas pipelines get more federal emissions scrutiny

headshot
LNG Gas pipe

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)

Go deeper