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119-s-3324119th CongressWALLET

FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would force the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to use an explicit, strengthened test focused on climate and environmental justice when approving Natural Gas Act certificates. It requires clear analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, specific definitions of environmental justice communities, and mitigation proposals tied to certificate conditions.

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  • Project applicants must include a mitigation proposal with their certificate application and may face enforceable conditions to address climate and environmental justice harms. If FERC approves without mitigation that would lower significant effects below the threshold, it must explain why mitigation is not practicable.
  • Environmental justice communities get an explicit review. The bill defines those communities to include populations of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities and requires FERC to consider cumulative stressors and to count reasonably foreseeable emissions. It sets a presumptive significance threshold of at least 100,000 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent and uses 20-year global warming potentials from the latest IPCC report.
  • FERC must weigh environmental effects against benefits like energy reliability and affordability and provide detailed findings when it approves projects despite significant, unmitigated harms.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New FERC rules for gas projects

If enacted, this bill would require FERC to measure foreseeable greenhouse gas emissions from proposed natural gas projects, including upstream, downstream, construction, operation, and leaks. FERC would presume a project is significant if it emits at least 100,000 metric tons CO2-equivalent per year and would use 20-year IPCC global warming potentials to convert gases. Applicants would need to submit a mitigation proposal and FERC would attach practicable, enforceable conditions or explain in detail why mitigation is not practicable. FERC would weigh environmental and environmental-justice harms against project benefits and decide whether the project is necessary for energy reliability and affordability. The bill would also require FERC to evaluate cumulative harms to environmental justice communities and, where appropriate, limit future siting or expansion in those communities.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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