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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.

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…

The Coal/Nuke Bailout, or DOE’s Game of Whack-A-Mole

Expert BlogUnited StatesGillian Giannetti

If it feels like you've been reading about a potential federal bailout for America's aging and uneconomic coal and nuclear plants for a long time, you're not wrong. Despite consistent opposition, the idea just won't die. DOE's game of whack-a-mole…

FERC Takes a Step Backward on Environmental Impacts

Expert BlogGillian Giannetti
Buried within a routine order, a 3-2 majority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unveiled a new policy on May 18 that limits FERC's analysis and disclosure of the environmental impacts of natural gas pipeline projects. The policy undermines…