Today, a coalition of leading climate advocacy, frontline, and environmental justice organizations delivered an additional 120,000+ signatures to the Department of Energy (DOE) urging the Biden Administration to deny export authorizations for six pending liquefied “natural” gas (LNG) projects. This delivery builds on the more than half a million signatures submitted in October strongly supporting the administration’s pause on new LNG export authorizations, calling on the DOE to build on that progress. The additional signatures come on the heels of the DOE’s long-awaited critical studies confirming that LNG exports harm American families and frontline communities while undermining global progress on climate change.
Earlier this year, the Biden Administration paused LNG export approvals to non-Free Trade Agreement countries, a result of years of advocacy by Gulf Coast communities that have borne the brunt of fossil fuel racism. As part of the pause, the DOE committed to updating the economic and environmental studies that inform whether LNG is in the public interest or not.
Those studies, now released, offer a clear, science-backed analysis that supports halting LNG export expansion and protecting communities and the climate. As Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm stated, the continued pace of LNG exports was “neither advisable nor sustainable.” By rejecting these export applications, President Biden can secure his climate legacy, deliver on environmental justice, and protect Americans from the harmful impacts of this dangerous expansion.
A further batch of signatures is expected to be delivered to the DOE in early 2025.
The organizations that gathered petition signatures for this effort shared the following comments:
"As a Black mother and an environmental justice leader living in Sulphur, La, a frontline community, I witness the harsh truth every day: the expansion of liquefied natural gas exports puts our families at risk while prioritizing corporate profits over our health and safety. My children face severe health conditions caused by the very pollution that LNG facilities unleash into our air and water. We cannot allow our communities to bear the burden of fossil fuel racism any longer. The Department of Energy's findings confirm what we have long known—LNG exports not only devastate our environment but also escalate our energy costs and compromise our futures. True energy independence means investing in renewable solutions that uplift our communities, not shipping our resources abroad while we suffer. It’s time for President Biden to reject all pending LNG export authorizations and stand with us in the fight for a livable future,” said Roishetta Ozane, Founder/CEO, Vessel Project of Louisiana.
“Make no mistake: liquefied ‘natural’ gas is clearly not in the public interest,” said Mattea Mrkusic, Evergreen Action Senior Policy Lead for Energy Transition. “That’s why over 120,000 people nationwide are calling on President Biden to reject these dangerous mega projects, safeguard vulnerable communities, and lock in critical progress for the climate. This is the moment for the Biden administration to listen and act decisively.”
"The hundreds of thousands of Americans speaking out today understand exactly what's at stake with LNG expansion. Every proposed export terminal is a decades-long commitment to higher energy bills for American families, more methane in our atmosphere, and increased market volatility that benefits no one except fossil fuel executives. These aren't just industry projects - they're a calculated attempt to lock us into fossil fuel dependency at precisely the moment when the world is moving toward cleaner, cheaper energy. The Biden administration can protect consumers, strengthen our energy security, and maintain U.S. climate leadership by rejecting all pending export permits before leaving office,” said Cassidy DiPaola, Communications Director, Fossil Free Media.
"This report should end the discussion: LNG exports are bad for our pocketbooks, bad for the air we breathe, and bad for the safety of our communities. Energy independence does not mean shipping America's resources overseas, it means harnessing and storing our abundant solar and wind energy. Clean Air Council urges the DOE to apply the study's findings and deny the six pending permits for LNG export facilities," said Alex Bomstein, Executive Director of Clean Air Council.
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