This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to evaluate and address climate and environmental justice impacts when approving natural gas projects under the Natural Gas Act. Specifically, FERC must assess whether a proposed project's greenhouse gas emissions and effects on low-income and communities of color are significant, with projects generating at least 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year presumed to have significant climate effects. The bill requires applicants to submit mitigation plans to reduce these impacts, and FERC must attach conditions to project approvals that address potential harms to climate and environmental justice communities, or provide detailed explanations if mitigation is not feasible. Additionally, FERC must weigh environmental effects against project benefits and determine whether projects are truly necessary for energy reliability and affordability before approval. The legislation effectively strengthens FERC's authority to consider and limit the environmental burden that natural gas infrastructure projects place on vulnerable communities.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.