In the latest step undertaken by the Trump administration to boost exports and maintain United States energy dominance, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has extended the terms of seven long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) export authorizations for approved terminals through 2050.
DOE’s action allows the Golden Pass LNG facility, under construction in Sabine Pass, the Texas LNG project proposed for Brownsville, the proposed Magnolia and Driftwood projects in Louisiana, and the Delfin LNG export project proposed for offshore Louisiana, upon completion, to export natural gas through 2050. DOE also extended the export term for Sempra Energy’s Costa Azul LNG project in Mexico.
DOE’s action follows President Donald Trump’s July announcement that the department was implementing a policy to allow LNG exports to select non-free trade agreement countries for 30 years. This is a change from the previous administrations’ practices of limiting export terms to 20 years.
With the seven latest export extensions, DOE has now granted 13 U.S. LNG projects the authorization to export LNG through 2050.
‘Success Story of U.S. LNG’
The United States exported a record amount of LNG in November demonstrating the success of the Trump administration’s energy policies to advance U.S. interests, said Dan Brouillette in a press statement announcing DOE’s latest round of export extensions.
“The success story of U.S. LNG continues to be written and these extended authorizations will ensure that the benefits from these exports continue for decades to come,” said Brouillette. “The United States just set a new all-time high record for LNG exports in November 2020, and the monthly rate of LNG exports has now quintupled since the beginning of the Trump administration.”
DOE’s action boosts the economic and geopolitical interests of the United States and of our allies, said Mark W. Menezes, DOE’s Deputy Secretary of Energy, in the same press release.
“Critical to our Nation’s energy independence are the prospects presented by these long-term LNG export extensions,” said Menezes, “LNG is and will continue to be a vital energy resource for our friends and allies around the world.
H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D.(hsburnett@heartland.org)is the managing editor of Environment & Climate News.