Texas - America's leading producer of crude oil and natural gas, along with 15 other states led by the Republican Party, on March 21 filed a lawsuit in federal court in Louisiana to protest the government's actions. Biden suspends approval of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects.
The lawsuit against President Joe Biden and the US Department of Energy was initiated with the argument that the White House is going against the intent of Congress and decades-old US policy.
“The ban will drive billions of dollars of investment out of Texas, hinder our ability to maximize revenue for public schools, force Texas producers to burn excess natural gas instead of sending it goes to market and eliminates important jobs,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.
The US Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg. LNG is gas that has been cooled to the point of turning into a liquid so that it can be loaded onto liquid cargo ships and transported around the world on maritime routes.
The Biden administration announced in late January that it was pausing permitting for new LNG export projects to assess how the sector affects climate change, the economy and national security .
“Pausing approvals for new LNG projects shows the climate crisis for what it is: The existential threat of our time,” Mr. Biden said at the time.
Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass LNG export facility. in Louisiana, USA. Photo: Power Engineering
The US only began exporting LNG in 2016 but quickly became the world's largest supplier, partly because Europe turned its back on Russian pipeline gas since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine. more than 2 years ago.
The White House's move to suspend licensing strikes at the heart of the debate over the future of energy. While advocates say gas is important in limiting coal use in developing nations, environmentalists warn that the massive infrastructure build-out needed to facilitate Favorable conditions for LNG trading will keep it in use for many generations to come.
The pause would “disrupt natural gas development and production and leave us no choice but to turn to the courts to enforce the law,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
The order to suspend approval of new LNG export projects comes as Mr. Biden seeks to attract support from young voters enthusiastic about environmental issues in a tough rematch for the White House.
He will likely face Republican candidate Donald Trump, who calls man-made global warming a “hoax” and has vowed to destroy the climate agenda. the Democratic Party's opponent.
Under Mr. Biden's plan, new LNG export applications would be subject to review over an unspecified period of time, taking into account climate as well as broader economic and environmental impacts.
The suspension would jeopardize the future of more than a dozen planned LNG export facilities.
Scientists and environmental activists welcomed the Biden administration's move, which excludes plants that have been approved but not yet built and has exceptions for national security emergencies.
Minh Đức (According to Bloomberg, France24)
