FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025

Protection for Environmental Justice Communities: The bill requires the Commission to evaluate how proposed actions affect these communities based on existing and potential health stressors, including cumulative stressors (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).

Limiting Disproportionate Burdens: The Act includes a provision stating that no community should bear a disproportionate share of adverse environmental and public health consequences resulting from approved certificates (Section 2(a)(2)(D)(i)(I)).

Limiting Future Expansion: It allows the Commission to limit the future placement and expansion of proposed actions within environmental justice communities (Section 2(a)(2)(D)(i)(II)).

Climate Change Accountability: The bill establishes a threshold where any proposed action with reasonably foreseeable emissions of at least 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year is presumed to have a significant effect on climate change (Section 2(a)(2)(D)(ii)(I)).

Requirement for Mitigation: Applicants may be required to submit a proposal detailing how they will mitigate environmental effects on climate change and environmental justice communities (Section 2(a)(3)(A)).

Increased Regulatory Requirements for Applicants: Applicants for certificates may be required to submit detailed mitigation proposals to address environmental and climate change effects (Section 2(a)(3)(A)).

Requirement for Detailed Explanations: The Commission must provide detailed explanations if it does not require mitigation to bring effects below the significance threshold, or if it finds a project is required despite significant environmental effects (Section 2(a)(3)(C) and Section 2(a)(4)(B)).