The Biden administration altered the official federal policy on approving new interstate natural gas facilities and pipelines, requiring a climate consideration.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced that it will begin to “undertake a robust consideration” of the environmental justice impacts of such fossil fuel projects before granting approval, according to a fact sheet published Thursday.
The agency, which is the top regulator of domestic natural gas infrastructure, said its new policy will presume projects that cause 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year will have a significant impact on the environment.
In a major departure from its past policy, the FERC may also consider the eventual emissions caused by both upstream production and eventual burning of gas transported in a pipeline requiring approval.
“I believe today’s long-overdue policy statements are essential to ensuring the Commission’s natural gas siting decisions are reflective of all stakeholder concerns and interests,” FERC Chairman Rich Glick said in a statement.
“We have witnessed the impact on pipeline projects when federal agencies, including the Commission, fail to fulfill their statutory responsibilities assessing the potential effects of a project on the environment, landowners, and communities.”
The announcement Thursday marked the first time the commission updated its natural gas policy since 1999. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone applauded the policy change, saying it was “necessary and long-overdue.”
“For far too long, FERC has allowed private pipeline developers to call the shots, while cutting those affected by the projects out of the process,” Natural Resources Defense Council senior attorney Gillian Giannetti said in a statement. “Communities and landowners will now have a say before new pipelines cut across their land or new compressor stations are built near their homes.”
“FERC will now need to follow through and permanently establish a meaningful climate test for pipelines,” she added.
But the new policy also attracted criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
“Today’s reckless decision by FERC’s Democratic Commissioners puts the security of our nation at risk,” Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin said in a statement.
“The Commission went too far by prioritizing a political agenda over their main mission – ensuring our nation’s energy reliability and security.”
“The only thing they accomplished today was constructing additional roadblocks that further delay building out the energy infrastructure our country desperately needs,” he added.
Republican Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the committee’s ranking member, added that the FERC decision proved the administration was “determined to make it nearly impossible” for Americans to access affordable natural gas.
In January 2021, President Joe Biden appointed Rich Glick to chair FERC. In September, the president selected former Washington, D.C., Public Service Commission Chairman Willie Phillips to join FERC, giving Democrats majority control of the five-person commission.
Read rest at Daily Caller
This whole thing is going to Backfire on Biden and with Infmations out of control this will cost Biden and the Democrats big time t hats why their bringing in all those Illegal Aliens/Future Democrat Voters and Supporters to keep them in office
A leopard can’t change it’s spots.
When the original Alaska pipeline (1973) was being voted on, the US Senate voted 80 to 5 in favor of the pipeline. Yup, Senator Joe Biden was one of the five.
(Reported in: “Biden Secret Service Code Name: Assassination Insurance”, by Ann Coulter, published: October 1, 2008.)
Apparently Brandon and his handlers not only hate America they hate the American people! Let’s stop this tyranny at the midterm elections!
Does Biden really think that by passing the decision- making to his friends in all these agencies, we will not only see thru the sham but also that he hasn’t the backbone or support to try to get these measures thru the House and Senate? He shall, as Russell notes, pay for this in the midterms. (Can’t come soon enough !)
Tyranny to the North,Crinimal activity to the South and in America Treason from Biden and the Democrats/Globalists 1984 here we come