US Court Blocks Pause on Pending LNG Export Permits
A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to end its temporary pause in approving liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications.
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U.S. District Court Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana sided with a group of 16 state attorneys general who sued the administration, claiming the pause was illegal and unjustified and would cause their states serious economic harm. The halt appears to be "completely without reason or logic and is perhaps the epiphany of ideocracy," Cain wrote in his 62-page decision, released July 1.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R), who led the March lawsuit, and several Republican members of Congress issued statements welcoming Cain’s decision. Murrill said the pause placed "roughly $61 billion of pending infrastructure at risk" in her state. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said the ruling will allow the U.S. “to create more good-paying American jobs and support our allies abroad.”
In a joint statement, Reps. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., urged the Senate to take up the House-passed Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act (see 2402150065) "to ensure that no administration can again block LNG exports." Both of their states joined the lawsuit against the pause.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters July 2 that the administration is disappointed with the ruling. It was not immediately clear whether the administration would appeal the decision.
The administration announced the pause in January, saying it wanted to review criteria for approving LNG export applications, including the impact on climate change (see 2401260070 and 2402090005). An Energy Department official said in April that he expected the review to wrap up by the end of the first quarter of calendar year 2025 (see 2404230042). Congressional Republicans opposed the pause, saying it was creating doubt among allies about the reliability of U.S. fuel supplies (see 2403190053).