The U.S. oil and natural gas industry is pushing for President-elect Donald Trump to end the U.S. Department of Energy’s pause on reviews of LNG export terminal projects as part of a “roadmap” that the American Petroleum Institute presented on November 12. .
The trade group’s president and CEO, Mike Sommers, said on a call with reporters that member companies expect the action to come “on day one” of the next administration.
Applications for four LNG export terminals and two other projects in the pre-submission stage have been stalled since January, when the Energy Department paused approvals and said it would study how officials review applications.
Despite the pause in new permits, US LNG exports to Europe have surged since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Institute officials highlighted comments from European leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said this month that the European Union could replace LNG from Russia with US LNG.
But even if the LNG freeze and other environmental protections implemented by the Biden administration don’t end immediately, LNG exports to Europe could face additional regulations. Officials from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the commission asking it to align methane limits on US LNG imports, Reuters reported.
“LNG is very important to long-term energy security and American jobs,” Sommers said.
The trade group’s list of policy goals provided to the incoming administration also calls for allowing reform of the National Environmental Protection Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as repealing rules put in place by the Biden administration under the National Environmental Policy Law. (NEPA).
Terminals under construction
The United States currently has eight LNG export terminals, seven more that have been approved and are under construction, and another 12 that have been approved by federal officials but are not yet under construction, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. the Energy
One of those projects approved and under construction is NextDecade Corp.’s Rio Grande LNG facility. in Brownsville, Texas. CEO Matt Schatzman told investors earlier this month that construction on three Bechtel-led trains is underway, even as he appeals a court ruling that overturned the agency’s authorization of the project
“The court’s decision will not take effect while the appeal process is ongoing, and we remain committed to taking all available legal and regulatory actions to ensure that Phase 1 is delivered on time and on budget,” he said. say in a statement.
