Casten Statement on DOE LNG Study
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement regarding the Department of Energy’s assessment of U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports:
“Today’s report from the Department of Energy proves what we already knew – when we export liquified natural gas, energy costs rise, emissions increase, and fossil fuel companies rake in profits at Americans’ expense,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “It is not in the national interest to raise prices on American consumers, undermine global markets for clean energy, increase global warming, and damage the health of communities along the way. The question before us now is whether the incoming Trump Administration will uphold the national interest and prioritize American energy consumers or cave to the interests of energy producers.”
In November 2023, Rep. Casten joined Rep. Jared Huffman in urging the Biden Administration to pause the approval of new LNG export terminals until it updated the process for determining whether new LNG licenses are in the public interest. President Biden announced this pause in January 2024, and DOE began to update its process immediately, with the result being today’s study.
In September 2024, Rep. Casten introduced the Exported Carbon Emissions Report Act, legislation to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regularly publish a summary of the total emissions of carbon dioxide and methane related to United States fossil fuel exports. The bill is intended to give Americans a complete picture of the U.S. global carbon footprint, now that a large part of that footprint is the result of U.S. fossil fuel exports.
In November 2024, Rep. Casten introduced the LNG Public Interest Determination Act of 2024, legislation to require the Department of Energy to examine impacts on climate stability, consumer energy costs, and environmental justice when considering permits for new LNG export terminals – the same questions examined by today’s DOE study.
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