The Sierra Club submitted over 3,000 comments opposing a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposal that would expand the agency's "blanket certificate" program for natural gas infrastructure projects. The FERC plan would more than double the automatic approval cost threshold from $14.5 million to a higher limit, reducing environmental review requirements for pipeline expansion and other fossil fuel projects.
Blanket certificates allow certain categories of projects to proceed without individual case-by-case FERC approval. Raising the threshold means more projects would skip detailed scrutiny, a concern particularly acute given recent FERC decisions that have favored pipeline developers over environmental protections and community impacts. The Sierra Club argues the expansion contradicts climate commitments and removes safeguards for frontline communities already burdened by fossil fuel infrastructure.
The proposal forms part of a broader deregulatory agenda at FERC under recent leadership changes. Environmental groups warn that streamlining approvals for natural gas projects locks in decades of methane emissions at a moment when the energy sector must transition rapidly away from fossil fuels. Natural gas infrastructure—pipelines, compressor stations, liquefaction facilities—represents the fastest-growing source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions this decade.
The blanket certificate mechanism has historically expedited routine maintenance and minor upgrades. Opponents contend the new cost threshold effectively reclassifies major infrastructure investments as routine, bypassing environmental impact assessments, public notice periods, and community input required under the Natural Gas Act.
FERC's expansion reflects a shift in regulatory philosophy favoring energy infrastructure development. The agency issued multiple pro-pipeline orders in recent years while narrowing its consideration of climate impacts and environmental justice concerns. The blanket certificate proposal now faces a public comment period, with final agency action determining whether thousands of projects across the U.S. will receive faster approval pathways.
Environmental advocates plan continued opposition through the regulatory process