Energy companies’ decision to cancel the Atlantic Coast pipeline has dealt an under-the-radar setback to the environmental movement, prolonging a legal campaign to force federal regulators to take a closer look at pipelines’ climate impacts.
Environmentalists have spent years pushing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expand its analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas projects. They’ve gained some traction in the courtroom, and an upcoming Atlantic Coast court case would have been an opportunity to build on that.
Challengers asked federal judges to corner FERC on climate change and order ...