In a decision that could have broad impact, a federal appellate court said on Aug. 22 that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must give an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions that will result from burning natural gas delivered by proposed pipelines to Florida, or explain why it could not have done so.
FERC in February 2016 approved three related pipeline projects under construction in Alabama, Georgia and Florida that will deliver fracked natural gas to utilities. In September it upheld its decision after environmental groups and others challenged it, claiming that the agency’s assessment of the environmental impact of the pipeline was inadequate and failed to adequately consider the project’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.