The reassurance to worried European officials comes several months after Biden halted approval of ongoing or future LNG exports from new gas projects – a surprise move intended to ease the concerns of climate-conscious voters ahead of the crucial election of November.
The move has rattled European industry, given its growing dependence on U.S. LNG as the European Union struggles to abandon Russian gas amid Moscow’s bitter war in Ukraine.
U.S. LNG exports to the EU have increased steadily since the start of the Ukraine war and currently account for half of the bloc’s LNG supplies, up from about a quarter before the war.
In total, the United States exports about 14 billion cubic feet of LNG per day, Turk said. And it has already set aside up to 48 billion cubic feet for export from future projects, or about half of its domestic natural gas production.
“When we point out these numbers, I think we can take comfort that we have the necessary supplies,” Turk said.
Given that these numbers are skyrocketing, it was “prudent” to examine “the climate and environmental implications if we allow even more,” the US energy official argued. “Once this analysis is updated, we will return to reviewing applications as they come in for additional volumes.”
Politico
