DOE OK’s 8th Straight LNG Export Application After Admitting Conditions Have Changed
America’s Energy Advantage “Surprised and Disappointed” DOE Would Proceed Using Process It Said Needed to be Changed.
WASHINGTON, DC – August 1, 2014 – America’s Energy Advantage today released the following statement regarding DOE’s conditional approval of Oregon LNG terminal in Warrenton.
“We are very surprised and disappointed that the Department of Energy would go forward with another approval using a process that the Department itself has conceded is obsolete and needs to be changed. Moreover, the DOE’s own studies show that continuing with these approvals will further concentrate wealth as they produce a small net gain in the US economy by offsetting lower incomes and higher gas prices for the bulk of the population with windfalls for a small number of resource owners.”
“The Department is playing by yesterday’s rules and is using a highly flawed notion of ‘public interest’ to make decisions. Such decisions have serious implications on the U.S. economy far into the future, a practice that undermines the comments by U.S. stakeholders that are currently under review. DOE should halt any further approvals until it has taken the time to review all of the public comments submitted in response to these changes. Furthermore, DOE must develop a more appropriate and better balanced measure of ‘public interest’ that takes into account new economic projections and their impact on today’s supply and demand landscape.”
“Natural gas prices have doubled since the first LNG export application was approved and gas supplies are at their lowest levels in 11 years. New EPA carbon rules will only exacerbate this trend as realistic estimates suggest that the U.S. could exhaust its economically recoverable natural gas supplies by 2030. DOE has now approved 11.55 bcf/d to non-free trade countries and total approvals are well beyond the “high export” scenario. Continuing down this path puts our manufacturing renaissance at risk and will eliminate American jobs and harm the economy,” said America’s Energy Advantage.
About America's Energy Advantage
America’s Energy Advantage (AEA) is a trade association representing many of the world’s leading manufacturers and commodity producers, as well as the United States’ publicly-owned natural gas distribution companies. Our organization is a strong supporter of rules-based free trade and believes that open markets create new opportunities for economic growth and higher standards of living for all Americans. AEA is dedicated to educating the American public about the growth in American manufacturing that has been made possible by our country's abundant and affordable supply of natural gas.
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