When President Joe Biden limited new permits to exports of liquefied natural gas, he characterized it as a fight against a “modern existential threat.”
If halting exports of the abundant American fuel the world needs actually has a significant impact on the climate, we would support it. But in a world where demand for electricity continues to grow from heavily polluting fuel sources, this is not the case. The president should know that too.
But targeting LNG exports was an easy way to signal to parts of the Democratic base that the president was heeding their calls. Don't just take our word for it. He said as much in a statement suspending new export approvals.
“We heed the call of young people and frontline communities who are raising their voices to demand action,” he said.
The consequences of this “pause” actually make the future of energy less secure for a world that needs reliable fuel from the United States at a time when too many authoritarian regimes are using energy as a weapon. I'm letting you do it.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is right to convene a special committee to examine President Biden's order and its impact on Texas' energy industry as well as the broader society, economy, and environment.
Indeed, Mr. Phelan may be saying this in an attempt to prove his conservative legitimacy in the midst of a tough runoff election. That doesn't mean the commission's findings have no value as a balance to the government's argument that blocking more LNG exports is an environmental victory.
In reality, it won't change the global climate. The energy that the United States does not export will likely be replaced by energy from less regulated sources. The world's energy demand will not decrease just because the United States stops shipping natural gas.
On the other hand, the economy will weaken. The United States has been a net exporter of energy since her 2019, increasing security and providing good jobs.
But the biggest drawback was that this created uncertainty about the availability of American energy around the world.
As former U.N. Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison wrote on this page last month, “America's energy is a stabilizing force in global markets, strengthens our alliances, and promotes global stability.” ”.
Using political platforms to vie for such an important resource is a mistake with far-reaching implications.
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