Biden’s LNG pause earns another no-confidence vote from American energy industry

This op-ed originally appeared in the The Washington Times on February 17, 2024.

To declare that “the future is now” might seem like an oxymoron, yet our leaders should internalize the concept when making energy policy. The phrase rings especially true as lawmakers look to counter the Biden administration’s indefinite pause on export permits for liquefied natural gas.

Amid continued conflicts around the globe, the Biden administration’s LNG export pause is the latest blow to industry and investor confidence. The administration promised that the move “will not impact our ability to continue supplying LNG to our allies in the near term.” This limited reassurance, however, demonstrates a profound disconnect between this administration’s climate activism and the domestic energy industry that powers our economic and national security.

American businesses looking to make the long-term investments necessary for our nation’s energy future — and allies looking for certainty — do not need halfhearted, near-term promises of reprieve from the Biden administration’s war on domestic energy production. Instead, they need predictable confidence in the future of American energy security.

The time for our leaders to provide that confidence is now.

Unfortunately, this administration continues to design policies to collect accolades from climate activists on TikTok. Then, as public opposition mounts, White House officials often counter that the negative policy impact is limited to future projects. All anti-energy actions have consequences today, however, undermining confidence and chipping away at American energy. It won’t be long before we realize that the bill has already come due for Americans and our allies around the world.

The circumstances of the LNG export pause offer an instructive example of this destructive pattern.

Read the full op-ed in The Washington Times.