Eight AGs Filed Amicus Brief in Regional Energy Access Expansion Project Pipeline Case

AUGUST 9, 2023

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson led eight attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting petitioners in New Jersey Conservation Foundation, et. al. v. FERC, which challenges the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Regional Energy Access Expansion Project. The project, which would expand an existing New Jersey natural gas pipeline, would have a lifespan of 50 years and would account for nearly half of the state’s 2050 greenhouse gas budget. The AGs explained that FERC failed to consider important factors when determining whether the proposed project served public need and interest, such as taking into account state climate and energy laws and assessing the risks that continued methane production poses to consumers. The AGs argued that by erroneously concluding that the project met this threshold, FERC failed to comply with the Natural Gas Act and adhere to its own regulations.