On Tuesday, Aug. 6, the D.C. Circuit Court issued a decision that effectively cancels the previous approval of three harmful methane gas projects in South Texas by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), marking the first time a court has vacated FERC approval of an LNG terminal.
Groups submitted a request for rehearing to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of Venture Global’s proposed methane gas export facility, CP2 LNG. FERC made the highly controversial decision at its June meeting with a slim 2-1 vote and a strong dissent from former commissioner Allison Clements. Niskanen Center submitted the request on behalf of Sierra Club and a coalition of environmental organizations and impacted community members.
Today, the US Court of Appeals for the DC District agreed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission failed to fully and adequately assess the cumulative and direct environmental and health impacts that would be caused by air pollution from Commonwealth LNG, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and Natural Gas Act. While the court stopped short of vacating FERC’s approval of the project, it returned the decision to FERC for reconsideration.
Environmental and community groups filed a letter this morning with the Department of Energy urging the department not to rush to approve Energy Transfer's flawed application to export gas from the planned Lake Charles LNG export terminal.
Washington, DC - Yesterday, a Trump-appointed judge in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration's pause on liquefied methane gas export approvals. While the order does not require the authorization of any new LNG facilities, it requires the Department of Energy to continue its review of pending LNG export applications. The judge’s order does not stop the DOE from its ongoing update of the data and analysis used in its Public Interest Determination process for determining whether to authorize new LNG export permits.
Washington, DC - Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted to approve Venture Global’s gas export facility, CP2 LNG, despite clear evidence the facility will contribute to harm to the local community, climate, and nationwide energy price spikes and volatility.
Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced that CP2 LNG is on the agenda for its June meeting, in the midst of robust and ongoing frontline and national opposition to the gas export project. Evidence shows that expanded gas exports would be harmful to local communities, significantly contribute to dangerous climate change, and raise domestic energy prices nationwide.
Today Sierra Club and Public Citizen sued FERC for its approval of ONEOK’s Saguaro Connector Pipeline that would export massive amounts of methane gas from West Texas to Mexico for further transport, liquefaction, and export primarily to Asia.
The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club sued the federal government today for failing to properly evaluate harms from the Alaska LNG project to several threatened and endangered species.
Gulf Coast community groups and environmental advocates are urging the Biden Administration to reevaluate the criteria used to determine whether massively expanding U.S. crude oil exports that lock in decades of fossil fuel dependence and harm Gulf Coast communities is in the “national interest.”
Today, more than 70 members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary Granholm thanking them for pausing the approval of applications for new liquefied methane gas (LNG) exports while the Department of Energy considers the criteria used to determine whether new exports are in the public interest. Gulf Coast advocates and environmental groups issued statements in support of the letter from members of Congress.
WYALUSING, Pa. -- Late Friday, in response to data requests from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Delaware River Partners and Bradford County Real Estate Partners confirmed that they do not intend to cancel their Wyalusing liquefaction facility and Gibbstown export facility, despite the U.S. Department of Transportation decision last September to suspend authorization to transport LNG by rail car. The Wyalusing and Gibbstown facilities are part of a logistically and financially connected LNG export project contemplated by New Fortress Energy.