Nearly a year after the historic decision by President Biden and Department of Energy Secretary Granholm to pause consideration of new and pending liquefied methane gas, known as LNG, export applications, the DOE has released updated analysis underpinning the criteria used to make a public interest determination for these applications. The studies were released as final, and there will be a 60-day public comment period that will inform the implementation of the studies.
A new report details the extent to which the export industry for liquefied methane gas, known as LNG, benefits from billions of dollars in tax breaks, also called tax abatements, in Louisiana and Texas, with local communities suffering as a result. As the incoming Trump administration threatens to lift pollution safeguards and offer giveaways to the fossil fuel industry, this report brings much-needed scrutiny to the true harm LNG export projects cause by depriving communities of valuable tax revenue for critical infrastructure and services such as bridges, hospitals, schools, and climate resiliency.
A report from Politico today indicates that President-elect Trump would attempt to resurrect the long-dead Keystone XL pipeline project, despite the decade-plus-long fight against the pipeline that brought together a broad range of opponents, including Tribes, landowners, and environmental and public health advocates.
The United States Supreme Court rejected an effort by industry polluters and their political allies to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) comprehensive Clean Air Act standards to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from the oil and gas industry. The Court’s ruling is a victory for our families and communities, particularly those living on the front lines of oil and gas development. EPA’s methane safeguards —which include the first-ever standards for existing equipment as well as strengthened protections for new equipment— are a major win for climate and public health. As parties to the case, Sierra Club and its allies filed a brief opposing the industry’s legal claims. In declining their applications for a stay, the Supreme Court will allow EPA’s critical methane standards to take effect while the lower court reviews the rule’s legal merits.
Today, Gulf Coast and environmental groups filed petitions for review challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of Venture Global’s proposed CP2 LNG. In a 2-1 vote, FERC voted to approve the controversial liquified methane gas export project at its June meeting despite significant flaws in its analysis and information gaps in its review.
Today, the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, dubbed the “Dirty Deal,” sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin and John Barrasso. The legislation would open up federal lands and waters to more leasing and drilling and unnecessarily rush the review of proposed gas export projects, forcing decisions to be based on flawed, outdated studies.
Today, a coalition of environmental organizations and an impacted landowner backed by eight state Attorneys General and the New Jersey Ratepayer Advocate won their challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project, which would allow a massive and unneeded expansion of gas capacity into New Jersey.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated, or invalidated, a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that allowed the construction of the Regional Energy Access Expansion project to expand the Transco pipeline to bring additional fracked gas from Pennsylvania to, primarily, New Jersey and Maryland.
Groups submitted a request for rehearing to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of Venture Global’s proposed methane gas export facility, CP2 LNG. FERC made the highly controversial decision at its June meeting with a slim 2-1 vote and a strong dissent from former commissioner Allison Clements. Niskanen Center submitted the request on behalf of Sierra Club and a coalition of environmental organizations and impacted community members.
Today, the US Court of Appeals for the DC District agreed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission failed to fully and adequately assess the cumulative and direct environmental and health impacts that would be caused by air pollution from Commonwealth LNG, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and Natural Gas Act. While the court stopped short of vacating FERC’s approval of the project, it returned the decision to FERC for reconsideration.
In a major win for climate and public health, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied yesterday an effort by the oil and gas industry and its political supporters to suspend critical EPA protections against methane pollution while the court considers legal challenges to the rule. Sierra Club and its allies submitted multiple briefings opposing these legal attacks, which a three-judge panel rejected with no noted dissents. This means that EPA’s badly-needed standards will remain in effect while the litigation proceeds in court.
Washington, DC - Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted to approve Venture Global’s gas export facility, CP2 LNG, despite clear evidence the facility will contribute to harm to the local community, climate, and nationwide energy price spikes and volatility.