With Two New Policy Statements, FERC Recommits to Ensuring Gas Infrastructure Projects Serve the Public Interest

By Jennifer Danis and Romany Webb The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)—i.e., the federal agency responsible for approving interstate gas pipelines—yesterday announced two major statements explaining how it proposes to: (1) realign its fossil fuel infrastructure approval process with the Natural Gas Act (NGA)’s mandate to only approve projects that […]

Federal Oil and Gas Leasing in the Courts: Why Recent Losses Could Actually be Good News for the Biden Administration

By Romany Webb During his campaign for President, Joe Biden promised to “use the full authority of the executive branch to . . . significantly reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions,” including by “banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters.” Consistent with that promise, one week after taking […]

Federal Agencies Must Consider Climate Risk in Environmental Reviews under NEPA

This post was co-authored by the Sabin Center’s Romany Webb and Stephanie Jones and Michael Panfil of Environmental Defense Fund. From pipelines destabilized by melting permafrost to power line-sparked wildfires exacerbated by drought, the impacts of climate change are affecting infrastructure across the U.S. and heightening the risks it poses […]

Climate Litigation in Latin America and the Caribbean:  launching a regional Platform for Climate Litigation

Climate Litigation in Latin America and the Caribbean: launching a regional Platform for Climate Litigation By Maria Antonia Tigre, Florencia Ortúzar, Javier Dávalos With the largest rainforest in the world, the largest freshwater reserves on the planet and the most significant amount of arable land where food is produced, the […]

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Should Join New York and Other States Engaging in Long Term Planning To Get Off of Gas

By Jennifer Danis, Yesterday, the Sabin Center, Environmental Defense Fund, and New Jersey Conservation Foundation submitted comments to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (“BPU”) proceeding investigating the state’s current and mid-term future supply and demand for gas. (NJBPU Docket GO20010033.) The comments recommend that BPU commence a long-term […]

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS FILE BRIEF TO NINTH CIRCUIT IN SUPPORT OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA’S NATURAL GAS RESTRICTION

By Amy Turner, Michael Burger & Jennifer Danis Today, the Sabin Center filed an amicus brief on behalf of the National League of Cities, the League of California Cities, and the California State Association of Counties in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, a case before the U.S. Court […]

Local Government Associations File Brief to the Supreme Court in Support of EPA’s Clean Air Act Authority

By Jacob Elkin Today, the Sabin Center filed an amicus brief on behalf of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in West Virginia v. EPA, a case that is currently before the United States Supreme Court. The case concerns the scope of the United States […]