A federal judge has mandated the Biden administration to restart issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, overturning a pause intended to assess climate and economic impacts.
Coral Davenport reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- Judge James D. Cain, Jr. ruled that the pause on LNG permits has caused economic harm to states like Texas and Louisiana.
- The decision follows a lawsuit from 16 Republican attorneys general who claimed the pause was damaging to their states' economies.
- Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm expects the analysis on LNG exports to be completed by late this year.
Key quote:
“In every corner of the country and the world, people are suffering the devastating toll of climate change. This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.”
— U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in January when the pause on new LNG approvals was announced
Why this matters:
The ruling impacts national policy on energy exports and climate change mitigation efforts. If the Biden administration appeals this latest decision, the appeal will likely be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana: Davenport notes that several Trump-appointed Fifth Circuit judges have previously decided for plaintiffs in cases challenging Biden administration environmental policies.
For more, read EHN's two-part series about LNG expansion on the Gulf Coast (also available in Spanish):
Part 1: LNG production comes with a price, Gulf Coast communities warnLNG production comes with a price, Gulf Coast communities warn
Part 2: Amid LNG’s Gulf Coast expansion, community hopes to stand in its way
See also: For environmental groups, Biden’s LNG decision cause for celebration – and caution
