Bill > S3324

This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to more comprehensively assess the environmental and climate impacts of natural gas infrastructure projects. Specifically, when evaluating whether a proposed project is in the public interest, FERC must now examine the project's greenhouse gas emissions and its effects on environmental justice communities, which are defined as populations of color, indigenous communities, or low-income communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards. The bill mandates that FERC quantify reasonably foreseeable greenhouse gas emissions, including upstream and downstream emissions, and consider a project with over 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year to have a significant climate impact. FERC must also require project applicants to submit mitigation proposals addressing potential adverse effects on climate change and environmental justice communities, and the Commission must attach conditions to project certificates to address these impacts. Additionally, the bill requires FERC to weigh the environmental effects against the project's benefits and provide detailed explanations if it approves projects with significant environmental impacts that cannot be fully mitigated. The goal is to ensure that no single community bears a disproportionate share of environmental and public health consequences from natural gas infrastructure development.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3324/all-info