Lawmakers Seek Update on Biden Admin's LNG Export Review
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and two other Republican lawmakers asked the Energy Department this week to clarify the status of its study on liquefied natural gas exports.
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The Biden administration in January announced a temporary pause on pending decisions for LNG exports, saying it wanted to review criteria for approving LNG export applications. But in an Oct. 23 letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the lawmakers said they recently learned that a draft study on the matter may have been completed in 2023, without being shared with Congress.
"Transparency on this issue is essential," the lawmakers wrote. In addition to Comer, the letter was signed by Reps. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, and Clay Higgins, R-La.
The Energy Department didn’t respond to a request for comment on the letter. But a department official said in April that the administration expected to finish its review by the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2025 (see 2404230042).
Republican lawmakers have criticized the pause, saying it will hurt the U.S. economy and undercut efforts to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy (see 2402070082).