White House Halts Approvals of Natural Gas Exports

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Facts

• On Friday, the Biden administration announced that it would temporarily pause approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to countries that don't have free trade arrangements (FTA) with the US, citing climate concern as a key motivator for the decision.¹
• Pending decisions on LNG exports will be paused until the Department of Energy (DOE) updates its five-year-old authorization guidance, which the White House says fails to address issues such as rising energy costs and the newest information regarding the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.²
• Labeling the “climate crisis” as the “existential threat of our time,” Biden said that the pause will allow his administration to “take a hard look” at how LNG exports impact energy costs, national security, and the environment.³
• While it's unclear how long the pause will remain in place, it's expected to last until after November’s presidential election. However, DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm said it will not impact projects that have already been authorized.⁴
• The US was the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2023, as countries in Europe and Asia tried to limit reliance on Russian energy after its invasion of Ukraine. US export capacity has tripled from 4B cubic feet per day in 2018, and it's expected to grow significantly by 2030.⁵

Sources: ¹NBC, ²The White House, ³Yahoo Finance, ⁴Associated Press and ⁵CNBC.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Newsweek. Biden demonstrated his strong leadership and commitment to climate justice on Friday by pausing approvals of LNG exports. The science is clear that the climate crisis is an existential threat, and fossil fuels are a leading contributor to environmental damage. Natural gas exports have risen dramatically since the DOE last studied its impact on the environment, and it would be an injustice to allow rampant exports without knowing the environmental consequences.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Biden continues to allow his administration to be hijacked by radical climate cultists who want to completely destroy the oil and gas industry without any viable replacement. Not only does Biden’s decision to halt exports hurt the American economy and eliminate thousands of jobs, but it also plays right into Russia’s hands. Regardless of one’s opinion on fossil fuels, LNG will be a crucial part of the world’s energy supply for decades to come, and Biden’s assault on American energy independence hurts the entire world.

Predictions