A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to resume issuing permits for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities. The judge ruled that the administration's pause on approving LNG export licenses was "completely without reason or logic" and caused tangible harm to several states' economies.
The decision is a setback for the Biden administration's efforts to address climate change concerns related to LNG exports. While the administration expressed disappointment, the judge emphasized that the Department of Energy must continue evaluating export applications based on public interest criteria, as required by law. [1][2][3][4][5]
Citations:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/climate/federal-judge-biden-gas-exports.html
[2] https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/01/judge-blocks-biden-lng-pause-00166157
[3] https://jpt.spe.org/federal-judge-deals-blow-to-bidens-lng-permit-pause
[4] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/federal-judge-halts-us-governments-ban-lng-permits-2024-07-01/
[5] https://www.ogj.com/general-interest/government/article/55093153/federal-court-judge-bans-biden-administration-lng-export-pause-immediate-impact-unclear