LNG Exports Could Be a Boon for Climate and Security

If only the Biden administration can put good policy above the word of green activists and TikTok influencers

Letter to The WSJ.

"Your editorial “Biden’s LNG Pause Hits Ukraine” (June 22) is right that liquefied natural gas will play an essential role in Ukraine’s future as an independent nation.

Environmental activists and TikTok influencers have worked overtime to paint LNG in an unfavorable light, glossing over the fact it actually favors President Biden’s climate agenda by reducing global emissions. As the Energy Department reported in 2017, natural gas and LNG have the power to contribute to a “lower carbon future.” Electricity generated from natural gas produces about half of the carbon emissions of electricity generated by coal.

Europe relies on American LNG. Our imports have allowed the Europeans to keep the lights on in the wake of Russia’s invasion while enabling the European Union to progress toward its ambitious climate goals. Recently, U.S. LNG producer Venture Global announced a landmark energy security agreement with Ukraine’s DTEK, reinforcing their nation’s energy security, along with that of Eastern Europe.

If the administration’s export moratorium persists, it threatens the long-term LNG supply from this deal for Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 project in Louisiana. But if the Biden administration thwarts this new supply of LNG with its export ban, it will force many Eastern European nations back to Russian gas.

If the White House takes its climate and foreign-policy agendas seriously, it would recognize that U.S. LNG is a vital piece of the energy mix. Expanding production could let us help our allies while meeting our energy goals.

Guy Caruso

Former administrator

Energy Information Administration"