Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) made
some headway in how it evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from natural gas-related projects. In recent FERC pipeline
certification proceedings, the two Democrats on the Commission have
been critical of how FERC addresses a project's potential GHG
emissions and climate change impacts. With only four active
commissioners, this dispute has made it difficult to obtain the
majority needed for FERC approval. In last week's order,
however, the two Republicans were joined by Commissioner Cheryl
LaFleur, a vocal critic of the Commission's approach, in
authorizing a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal and
associated natural gas pipeline in Louisiana. The commissioners
were able to persuade LaFleur to issue a concurring opinion by
expanding the environmental analysis of GHG emissions. This
suggests that FERC's commissioners may have found some new
common ground that could serve as a model for the
