Industry News

House Passes LNG Bill

January 29, 2015


    On January, 28, 2015, the House passed a bill to expedite the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG).  The LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act would require the Department of Energy to rule within thirty days whether LNG exports could be sent to countries without free trade agreements with the United States.  The facilities would need to pass a review under the National Environmental Policy Act before the decision would be made.  Representative Bill Johnson from Ohio stated, “We’re now the world’s largest producer of natural gas, and because we have become so efficient at producing this resource, we have an excess supply we can sell to our allies across the globe.”  In 2010, the Department of Energy received thirty-seven applications to export LNG to non-free trade agreement countries, but only five decisions were made.  The bill, which passed the House in a 277 to 133 vote, is designed to decrease export hurdles.  The Senate is currently considering another bill to expedite the LNG export process. 

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