Arrr! The scurvy fossil fuel industry be fuming like a sea tempest at Biden, for thwarting their precious gas ventures!
2024-01-25
Arr, ye scurvy dogs! A band o' swashbucklin' fossil fuel industry scallywags be sendin' a grand missive to the likes o' Biden, beggin' him to change his mind 'bout puttin' a stop to our precious ventures. Avast!
A large coalition of more than 30 fossil fuel industry associations, including the American Petroleum Institute and American Exploration and Production Council, is expressing concern over an expected White House decision to delay permitting for key natural gas export facilities due to their potential climate impacts. The groups have written a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, arguing that this action would be a "major mistake" that harms U.S. jobs and puts allies at risk. This comes after reports that President Biden will order climate impact analyses for 17 proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal projects.The industry associations emphasize that the United States is the world leader in natural gas production and that the nation's abundant supply of natural gas is an important geopolitical tool. They argue that a pause on U.S. LNG export approvals would bolster Russian influence, undermine American credibility, and threaten American jobs. LNG export facilities are seen as vital for meeting energy demand in Europe and Asia, helping these regions reduce their dependence on Russian natural gas supplies. Energy associations Eurogas and the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association have also expressed support for continued permitting of U.S. LNG export terminals.
Proponents of increased LNG exports highlight that transitioning to natural gas reliance can help nations meet decarbonization goals by reducing reliance on coal-fired power generation. They argue that increased LNG exports contribute to emissions reductions and that hindering American LNG exports would be misguided policy that undermines the U.S. economy, allies' security, and global emissions goals. Among the projects that would be impacted by the DOE's review is the Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) project, which would be the largest export terminal of its kind in the nation.
The industry is concerned about the potential impact of the DOE's review and worries that the Biden administration may be putting a moratorium on the entire U.S. LNG industry. They assert that such an action would shock the global energy market, hurt the climate, and lead to increased emissions as the world would pivot to coal.