First appearance on Fox: More than 150 House Republicans are calling on President Biden to reverse the moratorium. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) They argued that this action would negatively impact the energy security of the United States and its allies.
The Republican lawmakers are led by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). (Louisiana), and conference chair Elise Stefanik participated. RN.Y. — sent a letter to Biden Sunday night, calling on the Biden administration to “immediately approve all pending applications to increase global natural gas supplies.”
“This is economically and strategically dangerous and unnecessary,” they wrote in a letter to Biden. “Under both Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Energy has consistently stated that U.S. LNG exports contribute to economic benefits, enhance energy security for Americans, and have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Because of its nature, it has been recognized that it is in the “public interest.”
“Governments should do everything in their power to facilitate expanded production of clean-burning, reliable natural gas and provide export licenses that enable access to global markets,” the letter added.
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House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) speaks at a press conference at the Capitol. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Late last month, Biden told the Department of Energy (DOE) while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental review to assess the project’s carbon footprint, which could take more than a year to complete. It ordered the suspension of pending permits for LNG export facilities. The action marks a major victory for activists who have been vocally calling for such a move and even threatening large-scale protests over the issue.
the president said Suspend LNG permit He added that the action was part of his broader climate change plan and that the action “sees the climate crisis for what it is: a modern-day existential threat.” He also targeted “MAGA Republicans” who deliberately denied “the urgency of the climate crisis.”
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But McMorris Rodgers, Johnson, Scalise, Stefanik and other Republican senators said in a letter Sunday that suspending additional LNG export capacity could ultimately strengthen Russia, adding that the It pointed out that in December 2018, more than 87% of US LNG exports went to Europe and the UK. , or the Asian market. In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, energy experts have argued that LNG exports are critical to helping U.S. allies wean themselves off Russian gas.
“Any action that slows or halts U.S. LNG export capacity would undermine global energy security and jeopardize these strategic markets,” the lawmakers wrote. “Such action would undermine the efforts we have made to help Europe reduce its dependence on Russian energy.”
President Biden on Friday ordered a halt to pending natural gas export projects in a surprising move. The action was supported by environmental activists who oppose fossil fuel development. (Getty Images)
They also argued that pausing LNG export growth could cause U.S. energy prices to rise, leading to an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions and harming the U.S. economy. The letter indicates that LNG exports could add up to $73 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040, create more than 453,000 U.S. jobs, and increase U.S. purchasing power by $30 billion. pointed out research.
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Meanwhile, the letter was filed just days before the Republican Energy and Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing to examine the potential impact of the LNG export suspension.
Additionally, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott (RS.C.) last week led a group of 16 senators to strip the DOE of its final say on LNG export projects and replace it with introduced the Domestic LNG Potential Opening Act, which leaves approval forDecision making with an independent party Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) speaks at a press conference on January 17th. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
A companion bill was introduced the next day by Rep. August Pflueger (R-Texas) and is expected to come up for a floor vote this month.
It is unclear which proposed projects the measure would affect, but government officials said at least two would have large capacity and two would have small capacity. Another official added that the moratorium implemented on Friday only affects the following projects: passed FERC It has gone through a lengthy approval process and is ready for DOE approval.
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According to federal data updated last week, there are 11 projects that have been given the green light by FERC but have not yet been built. Four more projects are pending with his FERC, and two are in the pre-filing stage. These six projects are not affected by the moratorium because they have not yet been submitted to the DOE, but would be affected if approved by FERC.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
