(Washington) – The Natural Allies Leadership Council, including former Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), former Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), former Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, issued the following statement regarding the Biden Administration’s decision to delay the approval of new U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals:
“We are alarmed and deeply disappointed in President Biden’s decision to halt the approvals of new U.S. LNG export projects, which are necessary to both maintain national security and reach our collective climate goals. American natural gas is one of our nation’s most valuable assets. U.S. LNG exports are paving the way for lower emissions as we transition away from coal, and enhancing global security by freeing allies of energy from hostile nations. Further, with more infrastructure to increase the supply of abundant natural gas, we can ensure widespread access to low cost energy while advancing the tens of thousands of direct and downstream jobs here in the U.S. Any reduction or delay in exporting natural gas will jeopardize American jobs and force countries, particularly in Europe, to choose between coal or Russian energy.
America has the ability, technology, and industry support to capture methane emissions from our gas processes, making it an essential component of our clean energy future. Nearly 60% of emissions reductions in the U.S. came from switching from coal to natural gas in the power sector since 2005, marking significant progress in our country’s efforts to mitigate climate change. These results can be projected globally if the administration takes swift action to eliminate the barriers preventing the necessary expansion of natural gas infrastructure.
This decision is tragic, not only in terms of our climate goals, but also for our relationships with our allies and trade partners. Natural gas is part of the solution, not the problem, and we need to focus on quickly reducing harmful emissions – not eliminating fuel choices.”
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About Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future
Natural Allies is a coalition of interested stakeholders that recognize the vital role natural gas, and its infrastructure must play in the energy mix. Natural gas partnered with renewable energy can accelerate our path to a clean energy future – ensuring affordability and reliability while reducing carbon emissions domestically and internationally. To learn more about the members and the organization, please visit: naturalalliesforcleanenergy.org.