Biden Pauses Pending LNG Export Permits, Sparking Republican Objections

The Biden administration announced on Jan. 26 that it's temporarily pausing pending decisions on liquefied natural gas exports while it reviews criteria for approving those projects.

The decision, which is aimed at addressing climate concerns, provides exceptions for “unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies,” the White House said. White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi told reporters that the Energy Department will move “with speed” to complete the LNG review.

In response, 26 Republican senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm criticizing the pause, saying it would force countries in Europe and elsewhere to buy LNG from adversaries, especially Russia and Iran. "Without U.S. LNG exports, European leaders would have to decide between depriving their own citizens of energy or actively funding Russia’s war on Ukraine," the senators wrote.

House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, issued similar statements. More than 30 industry groups argued against a pause in a Jan. 24 letter to the Energy Department (see 2401250008).

The White House said the pause “will not impact our ability to continue supplying LNG to our allies in the near-term.” It said that roughly half of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe in 2023 and that the U.S. exceeded its annual delivery targets to the EU in each of the past two years.