EXPORTING METHANE GAS HURTS AMERICANS
Exporting Methane Gas Hurts Communities.
Due to ongoing systemic racism and economic disenfranchisement, these methane gas export facilities are located primarily in communities of color and low-income communities. Building even more methane gas export facilities exacerbates and perpetuates generations of environmental injustices. New and expanded gas export facilities would harm Gulf Coast and Delaware River communities, which are already overburdened by industrial and fossil fuel pollution and on the frontlines of extreme weather and natural disasters driven by climate change.
Exporting Methane Gas Hurts Consumers.
Exporting methane gas adversely affects Americans nationwide via higher gas and electricity prices. Gas prices hit record levels in 2022, reaching their highest point in more than 14 years. DOE started authorizing gas exports from the contiguous U.S. in 2016, upending domestic energy markets and exacerbating energy poverty and income inequality for the most vulnerable in our communities. Today, in just seven short years, the U.S. is now the top gas exporter in the world. These unprecedented export volumes are, for the first time in history, tying domestic household energy bills to skyrocketing international gas prices, resulting in an inequitable domestic energy pricing crisis.
Exporting Methane Gas Hurts The Climate.
Liquifying, shipping, and consuming LNG releases significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timeframe and a major contributor to the climate crisis. The Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change report found that building new fossil fuel infrastructure in the United States makes reaching our climate goals impossible. The report concludes that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires stopping proposed global fossil fuel infrastructure and decommissioning and reducing the use of existing infrastructure in the power sector.
PUBLIC INTEREST
DETERMINATION
The Biden Administration’s latest decision to temporarily pause the pending approval for the administration’s temporary pause on pending decisions on LNG Exports was a huge win for Americans, especially Gulf Coast communities. However, we need to enact a stronger determination of public interest when approving new and expanded LNG terminals. The Public Interest Determination should include an analysis of the market, economic, national security, environmental considerations, AND environmental injustice to frontline communities.
Unfortunately, The U.S. has gone from zero to the world’s top gas exporter in just a few years. Still, with the additional LNG projects currently under construction, exports are already expected to double by 2028.
The U.S. has already easily met and exceeded its commitment to increase supply to Europe following Russia’s war in Ukraine. Demand in Europe is now expected to drop over 50% by 2030, which would be disastrous for the climate as well as the communities of the Gulf Coast.
DEMANDS
Communities across the Gulf Coast, environmental and climate justice organizations, frontline leaders, and members of the public call on the Biden Administration to:
