Lawmakers Push LNG Export Approvals From West Coast Facilities
The Department of Energy must approve liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications for non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries from facilities on the west coast, such as Jordan Cove in Oregon, said a Nov. 12 letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, endorsed by 12 House and Senate lawmakers. The expectation that the nation’s LNG supply will soon meet domestic demand is causing some companies to scale back operations and, in turn, decreasing local and Native American tribal government revenue while cutting jobs, said the letter. Therefore the application approvals are necessary to maintain LNG production.
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“It is imperative that the Department quickly review and act on applications to export LNG to non-FTA countries from facilities on the west coast,” said the letter. “Access to international markets is critical to ensuring that companies have the incentive to produce natural gas in the future.” The Department of Energy is still considering 21 pending applications for LNG export projects for non-FTA countries, said House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power Chairman Ed Whitfield, R-Ky. at an Oct. 10 hearing.