Legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) would repeal restrictions on the export and import of natural gas.
“The Biden administration continues to send mixed messaging on whether it supports reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy resources, like natural gas,” Rep. Johnson said on Wednesday. “At a time of great global uncertainty, for America to not be sitting at the head of the global energy table is dangerous. My legislation would change that.”
Rep. Johnson on Jan. 31 sponsored the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2023, H.R. 647, which the congressman said aims to bolster American energy, protect American energy jobs, and strengthen national security.
“We have the opportunity to lead on the world stage as a global provider of clean and abundant U.S. natural gas,” said Rep. Johnson, chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials. “If other countries can rely on America for their energy, they can rely less on cruel, energy-rich dictators like Vladimir Putin.”
If enacted, H.R. 647 would amend Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, which currently prohibits the import or export of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) from or to a foreign country without prior approval from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The legislation would go further and would give “exclusive authority” to the Federal Power Commission to authorize the approval or denial of “an application for the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a facility to export natural gas from the United States to a foreign country or import natural gas from a foreign country, including an LNG terminal,” according to the text of the bill.
“Good energy policy based on good old fashion American ingenuity and innovation is also good climate policy. Expanding American liquified natural gas exports results in massive global carbon emissions reductions,” Rep. Johnson added. “It is past time that we cut the red tape surrounding the natural gas export permitting process, and unleash homegrown American energy.”