WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8, 2024) – Today, the Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE) issued the below statement regarding a federal court’s recent decision to reverse the Biden Administration’s U.S. LNG Export Pause:
Members of PAGE were pleased to see a federal court find illegality in the Biden Administration’s LNG Export Pause, approving a request from 16 U.S. states, including Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia, to lift the pause on new approvals for natural gas exports while the litigation against the rule unfolds.
The court also rightfully recognized the “undisputed” fact that natural gas is a cleaner alternative to coal. The ruling cited analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that shows “burning natural gas for power emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants than other fossil fuels.” In fact, the Department of Energy’s own 2019 analysis concluded that the life cycle emissions of U.S. LNG exports to Europe and Asia are lower than regional coal and Russian gas on both a 20-year and 100-year basis.
As emphasized in PAGE’s January statement and letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, restricting the export capacity for U.S. LNG will have serious foreign policy implications and compromise future decarbonization progress. These realities were echoed by the federal court ruling, noting that the court had “reviewed voluminous studies… all of which boast of both the economic and environmental benefits of exporting natural gas.”
PAGE will continue to closely monitor and engage with the Administration to permanently end the pause so it does not continue to affect our national security and climate goals.
About PAGE
The Partnership to Address Global Emissions (PAGE) is a coalition of responsible energy companies, allied NGOs, labor unions and leading climate advocates dedicated to reducing global emissions by promoting U.S. policies that protect the climate, strengthen the economy, lower energy costs and bolster energy security through the production and export of cleaner natural gas. Learn more at https://www.pagecoalition.com/.