WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released its Response to Comments on the 2024 LNG Export Study, marking a critical step toward returning to regular order on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. With this action, DOE has completed the final hurdles left over from the Biden administration’s reckless pause on LNG export permits, paving the way for the Trump Administration to fully unleash American LNG exports.
“President Trump was given a mandate to unleash American energy dominance, and that includes U.S. LNG exports,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “The facts are clear: expanding America’s LNG exports is good for Americans and good for the world. Today, the Department of Energy is following the facts, closing the door on the Biden administration’s failed policies, and putting America’s energy future on stronger footing.”
“The 2024 Study confirms what our nation always knew—LNG supports our economy, strengthens our allies, and enhances national security. Biden’s opposition defied reason and reality and hurt American progress. We are pleased to issue the Response to Comments on the 2024 LNG Export Study, which will allow DOE to close out this chapter and fully return to regular order on LNG exports,” said Tala Goudarzi, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
The 2024 LNG Study was released at the end of the Biden administration in December 2024 and had a public comment period through March 20th of this year. Based on the record evidence from the 2024 LNG Export Study and the public comments received, DOE makes several key findings, including: the United States has a robust natural gas supply that is sufficient to meet growing levels of exports while minimizing impacts to domestic prices; growing LNG exports increases our gross domestic product and expands jobs while improving our trade balance; and increasing U.S. LNG exports enhances domestic and international global security with no discernable impact to global greenhouse gas emissions.
In sum, DOE concludes that the complete record from the 2024 LNG Export Study, inclusive of the Study, the comments received, and this Response to Comments, supports the proposition that exports of LNG from the United States are in the best interest of the American public.
With the public comments to the 2024 LNG Export Study now addressed, DOE will proceed with issuing final orders on pending applications to export U.S.-sourced natural gas as LNG to non-free trade agreement countries.
A Notice of Availability of the Response to Comments will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days. In the meantime, the Response to Comments is available on DOE’s website here.
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