LNG Public Interest Determination Act of 2024
Environmental Protection
house
senate
president
Introduced on November 21, 2024 by Sean Casten
Cosponsors
Legislation Details
- Amends the Natural Gas Act to require consideration of climate stability, consumer energy costs, and environmental justice in natural gas exportation decisions.
- Prohibits natural gas exportation without authorization from the Secretary of Energy, who must determine if it aligns with the public interest.
- Establishes a one-year deadline for the Secretary of Energy to make a public interest determination after receiving necessary environmental assessments.
- Requires the Secretary to assess potential contributions to climate change, energy price impacts, and environmental justice concerns before approving exportation.
- Mandates a comprehensive climate change assessment, including lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on clean energy alternatives.
- Requires an economic assessment focusing on the effects of exportation on various consumer groups, including low-income households and small businesses.
- Calls for an environmental justice assessment that considers the cumulative environmental burdens on vulnerable communities and compliance with civil rights laws.
- Ensures public participation in the decision-making process, addressing barriers faced by communities with environmental justice concerns.
- Designates the exportation authorization as a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act, requiring thorough environmental review.
- Terminates the existing categorical exclusion for natural gas exportation approvals, ensuring more rigorous scrutiny.
- Directs the Secretary of Energy to issue rules to implement the new requirements within one year of the legislation’s enactment.
Last updated 12/17/2024