The Biden administration’s Department of Energy relied on a “flawed study” by controversial keep-it-in-the-ground researcher Dr. Robert Howarth in implementing the widely criticized LNG export pause, Republicans argued in a new letter sent to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
The letter, sent Thursday and led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) underscored that the pause was “heavily influenced” by the Cornell professor whose work has been debunked, panned, criticized and labeled as being “riddled with errors” by claiming that natural gas and LNG are “worse than coal” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
The Republicans go even further than a similar letter sent by House Science, Space and Technology Committee Republicans to Granholm in asking whether or not Granholm herself directed Howarth to conduct the study, and whether the DOE has received any preliminary results on the pending climate analysis that would – supposedly – unfreeze the exports. Sen. Scott highlighted:
“The American people deserve better, and they need answers as to how much influence a flawed, biased study had on the administration’s decision-making.”
At the same time, Howarth himself was on Capitol Hill Thursday partaking in a Senate Climate Change Task Force and House Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) meeting on LNG exports, co-led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass), who alleged that LNG demand doesn’t exist – though the data says otherwise – highlighting that Democrats clearly continue to value and take Howarth’s counsel on LNG and climate matters.
I was delighted to be part of this meeting on LNG yesterday. Several Senators & members of Congress participated, and showed a keen interest. Thanks for @SenMarkey and @SenWhitehouse for co-chairing the event.
— Robert Howarth (@howarth_cornell) September 26, 2024
This is in spite of Howarth himself admitting that his LNG report was published prematurely to “achieve policy goals” after being pressured by well-known anti-fossil fuel advocate Bill McKibben, while the same billionaire activists spearheading the climate litigation, anti-pipeline, anti-investment, and overall war on fossil fuels have also taken credit for the pause.
Reminder: The LNG indefinite pause has been near-universally criticized, including by energy experts, Republicans, Democrats, national security experts, and U.S. allies – and has even been overturned by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Despite this mounting pile of evidence against the pause, the Biden administration has appealed the court decision and is still playing coy with the timing of the climate analysis and when the LNG pause will end, saying during NYC Climate Week that the ongoing report will be released for comment “around the end of the year.”
Meanwhile, the United States’ void in the LNG market has opened up new market opportunities for Canada, Mexico, Argentina and others to increase their share of the LNG market – at the expense of the U.S. economy. Oil Price reports:
“These countries are investing billions of dollars in LNG export infrastructure, particularly on their Pacific coasts, to gain a logistical advantage over U.S. exporters. The increased LNG exports from these countries could help Asian buyers reduce their reliance on coal and achieve their climate goals, but the U.S. may lose market share in the long term.”
American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers took aim at this saying the Biden administration’s block of LNG exports “creates a void global competitors will fill.”
Liquefied natural gas is a gamechanger for US #energy leadership. But the administration’s efforts to block new #LNG facilities creates a void global competitors will fill. It’s time to fully restore LNG export permits to support US jobs & allies overseas.https://t.co/W3cGW1mwvQ
— Mike Sommers (@mj_sommers) September 18, 2024
Similar comments made by industry leaders at the recent GasTech 2024 conference continue to highlight this problem. ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance plead for the Biden administration to put an end to the “crazy LNG pause” while Chevron CEO Mike Wirth highlighted how U.S. LNG exports advance critical goals:
“When it comes to advancing economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection, an LNG permitting pause fails on all three…The administration should stop the attacks on natural gas and embrace the benefits it’s already delivering around the world.”
Curiously – or perhaps not – Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris has not answered questions on where she stands on the LNG pause, instead giving placid support through the administration’s appeal and initial actions.
Bottom Line: The controversial LNG pause – influenced by a controversial researcher – continues to be scrutinized, though answered with little transparency or clarity from the Biden-Harris administration. Meanwhile, U.S. economic, national security, and environmental goals suffer as political priorities are placed higher than sound policy and clear data.
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