FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025

This bill amends the Natural Gas Act to strengthen the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) review process for natural gas projects. It mandates FERC to assess and mitigate the environmental effects of proposed actions, specifically focusing on impacts to climate change and environmental justice communities , when determining "public convenience and necessity." Project applicants are now required to submit a detailed mitigation proposal outlining how they will address these potential adverse effects. To determine significant environmental effects, FERC must evaluate impacts on environmental justice communities, considering existing and cumulative stressors, and quantify reasonably foreseeable greenhouse gas emissions . The bill establishes a presumption that projects emitting at least 100,000 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent have a significant effect on climate change. Furthermore, FERC must ensure that no community bears a disproportionate share of adverse environmental consequences and, where appropriate, limit the placement of projects in environmental justice communities. When weighing environmental effects against project benefits, FERC must consider the practicability of mitigation. If FERC approves a project despite significant unmitigated environmental effects, it must provide a detailed explanation for its decision. The bill defines an environmental justice community as a population of color, indigenous, or low-income community experiencing a disproportionate burden of negative health and environmental impacts.