Democrat Lawmakers Target Pipeline Approvals with New FERC Climate Review Bill
A new congressional bill would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts before approving natural gas pipelines under the Natural Gas Act — a move that could reshape project permitting.
(P&GJ) — A group of congressional Democrats has introduced legislation that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions and environmental justice impacts when reviewing natural gas pipeline projects under the Natural Gas Act.
The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), seeks to formalize how FERC considers a pipeline’s contribution to climate change and its effects on nearby communities before granting approval.
“As extreme weather events become more frequent, we can’t afford to ignore the climate crisis and the harm it’s inflicting on families across our country,” Duckworth said. “Every American deserves to breathe clean air, drink safe water and live, work and play on uncontaminated land.”
Durbin said the legislation aims to “protect the communities most impacted by climate change and climate pollution while ensuring access to safe and affordable energy.”
Under the proposal, FERC would be required to determine whether a project’s environmental impacts are significant, whether those impacts can be mitigated, and whether the project would ensure energy reliability and affordability.
“For too long, we have placed the interests of energy producers above all else in setting our energy policy,” said Casten. “It’s past time we put the national interest first.”
Environmental organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice have endorsed the legislation.
The measure follows a 2022 FERC draft policy statement — later withdrawn — that sought to clarify how the agency would assess climate and environmental justice impacts in natural gas infrastructure reviews. If enacted, this bill would codify that framework into law.