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On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy released a long-awaited study on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, finding that unfettered shipments of the fuel would make domestic prices rise and pose threats to the environment.
LNG is a form of natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state, allowing it to be easily stored or shipped overseas in specially designed tankers. The study found that allowing further U.S. LNG exports would cause an additional 1.5 gigatons of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2050—about a quarter of the country's total annual emissions.
The study also found that sending more gas overseas would decrease domestic supply, raising wholesale natural gas prices in the U.S. by roughly 31 percent. According to the analysis, that translates to an additional $100 in energy costs for consumers per year by 2050.
The findings come 10 months after the Biden administration paused the approval of LNG export projects to study their effects on climate change, the economy, and national security. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to end the pause on his first day in the White House, saying it has stifled investments and jobs in the domestic gas industry.
“Those are the facts, and the final decision, of course, is now in the hands of the next administration,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. “We hope that they’ll take these facts into account to determine whether additional LNG exports are truly in the best interest of the American people.”
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Ultimately, protecting this area for future generations of Americans to experience is the single most important aspect to me personally.”
