White House pauses authorization process for several proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal projects on their potential impacts on climate change, an unprecedented move called for by environmentalists in recent months.
In a joint announcement Friday morning, the White House and the Department of Energy (DOE) said the pause would occur while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental study assessing the projects’ carbon emissions, which could take longer one year. Climate activists have sharply criticized LNG export plans in recent weeks, arguing they would lead to a sharp increase in emissions and worsen global warming.
“As our exports increase, we must review export applications using the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of economic, environmental and national security considerations. » Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy told reporters during a press call. “This action includes a pause on pending applications to export U.S. natural gas in the form of LNG to countries not bound by a free trade agreement until the Department can update the underlying analyzes to authorizations.”
“The United States is committed to providing affordable energy and economic opportunity for all Americans. We are committed to strengthening energy security here in the United States and with our allies,” Granholm continued. “And we are committed to protecting Americans from climate change as we lead the world toward a clean energy future.”
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said her agency is “committed to protecting Americans from climate change as we lead the world toward a clean energy future.” (Reuters/Mary F. Calver/File)
Although it is unclear which proposed projects will be affected by the action, a senior administration official told reporters that at least two have a larger capacity and two have a smaller capacity. Another official added that the pause put in place on Friday will only impact projects that have gone through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) lengthy approval process and are ripe for DOE approval.
According to federal data updated this week, 11 projects have received the green light from FERC but are not yet under construction. Four other projects are pending before FERC and two are in the pre-filing phase. These six projects would not be affected by the pause since they are not yet submitted to the DOE, but they would be if approved by FERC.
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“From day one, we have looked out for frontline communities” Ali Zaidi, the climate czar at the White House said. “From day one, we have stood with our allies and partners. This is how Joe Biden is leading the fight against climate change. And when it comes to the climate crisis, we straighten our shoulders, we stand up the challenge before us, we are looking at “We have the solutions and, yes, we are moving away from fossil fuels globally. This is the solution, this is the strategy that the president has articulated. “
“As the department moves forward in this manner under Secretary Granholm’s leadership, I think it is important to note the context in which this is occurring,” Zaidi added. “We come this week from a UN climate conference where the United States, under the leadership of President Biden, has taken the lead in ensuring that the global community has the clear-eyed on the need for a global transition away from fossil fuels.”
Ali Zaidi, the climate czar at the White House (Al Drago/Bloomberg)
LNG export terminals have faced opposition from Democrats and environmentalists who argue they would create harmful pollution and contribute to global warming. This problem has led activists to post videos on social media that, over the past two months, have generated tens of millions of views.
Additionally, in December, dozens of environmental groups wrote to Granholm, imploring him to reject LNG development “for the sake of our climate and our communities.” Days later, 170 scientists wrote a letter to President Biden, asking him to reject the pending LNG facilities.
Climate activist Bill McKibben recently announced he was organizing a civil disobedience protest outside DOE headquarters in Washington, DC, over the authorization of new LNG export terminals. He said the action would mimic protests that helped nationalize the Keystone XL pipeline fight under the Obama administration.
But proponents of additional LNG export facilities say the projects are key to helping meet energy demand in Europe and Asia as countries seek to wean off supplies of Russian natural gas. In the weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Biden visited Europe and struck a deal with the European Union, pledging to send more U.S. LNG to the bloc.
An LNG carrier vessel is docked at the Cheniere Energy terminal in a photograph taken above Sabine Pass, Texas. (Lindsey Janies/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I think they’re really miscalculating here. It’s not just bad policy, it’s bad policy,” former FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee told Fox News Digital. “We made a commitment to our European allies, to Germany, that we would be there to help them. You really shouldn’t play politics with energy security.”
“What’s really frustrating from an environmental perspective is that U.S. LNG is actually displacing more intense fossil fuel sources overseas,” Chatterjee said. “We have a much cleaner process than the Russians. So not only do we provide geopolitical assets to our allies, but American LNG, by replacing dirtier fuel sources, actually reduces global carbon emissions. And activists only seem to touch on that.”
This month, energy associations Eurogas and the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA) issued strong statements of support for continued authorization of U.S. LNG export terminals. Eurogas reiterated that these exports were essential to ensure the complete reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. dependence on Russian natural gaswhile ANGEA added that US LNG is needed to meet Asia’s decarbonization goals.
German state-owned energy company Securing Energy for Europe said in a recent letter to Granholm that U.S. LNG is “vital for Germany’s energy security.” That company already has a purchasing agreement with at least one proposed LNG export terminal project in Louisiana.
A tank car carrying LNG is photographed in Germany. (Bodo Marks/photo alliance via Getty Images)
“This would be a victory for Russia and a loss for American allies, American jobs and global climate progress,” he added. American Petroleum Institute (API) said CEO Mike Sommers after the stock reports were released Wednesday.
“No scrutiny is necessary to understand the clear benefits of U.S. LNG for stabilizing global energy markets, supporting thousands of American jobs, and reducing global emissions by transitioning countries to cleaner fuels,” continued Sommers. “This is nothing more than a broken promise to America’s allies, and it’s time for the administration to stop playing politics with global energy security.”
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API attached a letter to Granholm Wednesday, alongside dozens of other fossil fuel industry associations, calling on the energy secretary to allow LNG export permits to continue at a steady pace. They wrote that LNG exports “protect U.S. consumers from growing global instability while advancing U.S. national interests and ensuring the energy security of key U.S. allies.”
Additionally, proponents of increased LNG exports have noted that transitioning the global economy toward greater reliance on natural gas would also help ensure that countries meet their decarbonization goals. Without an increase in LNG, they argue, countries would rely more on power generation from coal, whose carbon footprint when burned is much larger than natural gas power generation.
The industry letter to Granholm noted that the United States leads the world in reducing carbon emissions, thanks in large part to its greater reliance on natural gas. Coal produced the largest share of electricity generated in the United States for decades, until 2015, when natural gas overtook it.
