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Aerial view of the National Petroleum Reserve in northwestern Alaska

The Biden Administration Protects Millions of Acres of Arctic Alaska

Latest NewsAlaskaJenny Shalant
The new Special Areas Rule in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska could boost biodiversity and empower Indigenous Peoples to defend the lands they’ve relied on for generations.
Two adults and a child walk along a sandy shoreline

“Forever Chemicals” Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home

ExplainerUnited StatesMolly M. Ginty, Courtney Lindwall
These toxic chemicals are so common in consumer products and manufacturing that they’re everywhere—including inside our bodies.
A river with green trees on either side, with yellow hills in the background

In Planning for Climate Change, Native Americans Draw on the Past

ExplainerUnited States, CanadaTim Vanderpool
Across North America, Indigenous tribes and nations are consulting their traditional ecological knowledge to help prepare for a warming world.

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DOE Shrugs as U.S. Natural Gas Exports Surge

Expert BlogLouisiana, Texas, Florida, Alaska, New Jersey, PennsylvaniaGillian Giannetti, Morgan Johnson

A decade-long expansion of U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals has transformed American energy policy.

2022 Came Close, But Yet So Far, To Improving US Gas Policy

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti, Morgan Johnson
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy made critical progress to ensure that new gas projects are approved only if they are in the public interest. But they failed to complete the job.

FERC's Gas Reviews Are Getting Better All The Time

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti
It’s no secret that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s reviews of gas pipelines and export facilities need an overhaul. With continued pressure, and the addition of a fifth commissioner, 2022 has the potential to be transformative.

4 Keys for a Successful FERC Office of Public Participation

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti

More than 40 years ago, Congress told Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to do a better job of ensuring that the public had a say in its decisions. The nation’s top energy regulator never did, and, as a result, landowners…

NRDC, 50+ Orgs Send Clear Message: It's Time for FERC Reform

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti

NRDC, the Sustainable FERC Project, and more than 50 other organizations sent a clear message today to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: FERC must reform how it reviews applications for new gas pipeline infrastructure.

FERC Takes a Step Forward on Environmental Impacts

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti
In a FERC order published today, the commission for the first time assessed whether a proposed pipeline project’s greenhouse gas emissions would be a “significant” environmental impact.

Federal Agencies Play Hot Potato on LNG Emissions

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti
NRDC’s analysis concludes that if American LNG exports expand as projected, it will be nearly impossible to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Three Lessons Learned from the Axed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Expert BlogVirginia, West Virginia, North CarolinaGillian Giannetti
This is a significant and long-overdue victory for the landowners, community leaders, countless people across three states, and environmental advocates who have fought this project for years.

Reconsidering the Economics of Gas Pipelines

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti
A Rocky Mountain Institute study finds that gas pipelines and power plants proposed today are at a high risk of becoming stranded by 2035, as cheaper, cleaner energy alternatives outcompete them. Such a result would leave millions of ordinary consumers…

After Broad Run, FERC's GHG Policy Is on Thin Ice

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
The DC Circuit fired a warning shot this week at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with gas pipeline projects. The court rejected the core legal arguments that underpin the agency’s policy…

FERC Can't Just Check the Climate Box

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
In its order approving the Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal, FERC announced a "new approach" for considering the direct greenhouse gas effects of LNG facilities. FERC’s “new approach”—applied over Commissioner Richard Glick’s dissent—falls far short of what is required under both…

McNamee Should Recuse Himself in FERC Resilience Dockets

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
The Natural Resources Defense Council today joined with other organizations in formally asking new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Bernard McNamee to recuse himself from two pending proceedings related to the Department of Energy’s proposal to bail out coal and…

Reliability Experts to FERC: Focus on “No Regrets” Actions

Expert BlogJohn Moore, Gillian Giannetti
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) held its annual conference on electric system reliability this week. Unsurprisingly, the topic of resilience was featured throughout and the message from most energy experts was clear: power grids should focus on implementing “no…