Louisiana LNG Terminal Project Wins Court Approval Over Environmental Concerns

A federal appeals court has upheld the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) approval of a massive liquefied natural gas export terminal and pipeline in Louisiana.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals found that FERC complied with federal law when it authorized construction of Venture Global's CP2 LNG terminal and its associated 91-mile CP Express pipeline in 2025.

The challengers, led by environmental groups For a Better Bayou, argued that FERC failed to properly consider the harms of the project before finding the terminal was in the public interest. However, the court rejected these claims, stating that the Natural Gas Act sets a high bar for FERC to find that LNG terminals are not in the public interest.

The court also found that a recent Supreme Court ruling limited the scope of NEPA reviews prevented it from considering other factors raised by the challengers.