White House’s LNG Pause: Political Strategy or Climate Action?

White House Cites Climate in Pause on New Liquified Natural Gas Export Terminals (ABC News)

Stephanie Ebbs, Kelly Livingston (Jan. 26): The Biden administration’s decision to pause applications for new USLNG export terminals has sparked a political debate. API President and CEO Mike Sommers criticized the decision, calling it a “win for Russia” and a “broken promise to U.S. allies.” He argued that USLNG exports stabilize global energy markets and support thousands of American jobs. He also emphasized that USLNG helps reduce emissions globally by transitioning countries toward cleaner fuels. Other critics argue that the timing of the pause, announced in an election year, appears to be a political strategy to appeal to the environmentalists on the left. However, the Biden administration insists that the pause is purely to gather data and assess the impact of new USLNG export terminals on domestic natural gas prices and the environment. The decision has also raised concerns internationally, especially in Europe, which relies on USLNG to reduce dependence on Russian-supplied fuel. Despite these concerns, the Biden administration maintains that the pause will not affect current U.S. gas supplies to Europe or Asia. Link to Content