Hill Democrats are moving to revive a defunct proposal that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider the greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts of natural gas pipelines.
The “FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act” — introduced by Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) in the House and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in the Senate — would direct FERC to quantify a project’s climate pollution and assess how it affects overburdened communities before issuing a certificate under the Natural Gas Act.
“For too long, we have placed the interests of energy producers above all else in setting our energy policy, including when deciding whether to permit a new natural gas pipeline,” Casten said. “It’s past time we put the national interest first.”
The bill would also require developers to mitigate impacts by submitting specific proposals to offset emissions — potentially through carbon capture technologies or through renewable energy credit purchases.
