California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a multistate coalition on July 28, 2026, opposing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposed rule to expand its “blanket certificate” program for natural gas pipelines. The coalition is urging FERC to withdraw the proposal, arguing that it would weaken environmental review and consumer protections.

FERC’s blanket certificate program historically allows the commission to pre-approve natural gas projects up to a specified cost limit. The program was designed to streamline review for minor, routine maintenance projects with minimal effects on ratepayers and the environment. The proposed changes would more than double the cost limits, allowing more and larger projects to avoid case-by-case review.

At a time when Americans are dealing with skyrocketing energy bills, FERC’s proposed rule would not only increase energy costs and detrimentally impact public health, but it would fast-track numerous significant infrastructure projects without the environmental review or public oversight that federal law requires,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We must continue to uphold a transparent review process that protects communities and ensures that infrastructure decisions are made in the public interest, not rushed through at the public’s expense. We urge FERC to withdraw this proposal immediately.”

Changes challenged by the coalition

  • Increasing the cost cap for automatically approved pipeline projects from $14.5 million to $30 million.
  • Removing all cost limits for expansions of existing compressor stations, which the coalition identifies as significant sources of air pollution that are disproportionately located in environmental justice communities.
  • Considering automatic authorization for pipeline capacity expansions without project-specific review, which the coalition argues would be inconsistent with the Natural Gas Act’s requirement for individual determinations regarding public convenience and necessity.
  • Considering restrictions on public participation that the coalition says could limit communities’ ability to raise environmental and health concerns about nearby projects.

FERC has jurisdiction over interstate natural gas pipelines. The coalition states that projects approved under an expanded blanket certificate program on pipelines delivering gas to California could proceed without review of their effects on the environment, communities, and ratepayers. The five interstate pipelines identified as delivering out-of-state natural gas to California are the Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) Pipeline, Kern River Pipeline, Transwestern Pipeline, El Paso Pipeline, and Mojave Pipeline. These pipelines do not enter California; they terminate when they transfer gas to California’s intrastate pipelines. The coalition states that they would be affected by the proposed rule and would not be subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Bonta joined the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia in opposing the proposal.