Kelly champions Pennsylvania natural gas, slams Biden administration's pause on new LNG exports
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This week, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT Team), championed Pennsylvania's natural gas industry and criticized the Biden administration's recent pause on new liquified natural gas (LNG) export projects. Pennsylvania is the second-largest natural gas producing state in the United States, producing 20.4% of the natural gas extracted in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Kelly spoke on the House floor Tuesday night to address the issue after he signed onto this letter on Sunday calling on the Biden administration to reverse their decision citing a negative impact on American energy, American jobs, and national security.
You can WATCH and DOWNLOAD Rep. Kelly's full speech here.
"When President Biden was campaigning, he couldn't stop telling the American people how he would end fossil fuels. This is yet another example of promises made, promises kept from this President," Rep. Kelly said. "We're talking about jobs. We're talking about the cost of energy. We're talking about a reliability not on a foreign supplier, but on our own domestic energy. The President's decision is pushing our European allies, who rely on American LNG for their energy supply, right back into the hands of Vladimir Putin and the Russians to supply energy for them instead. I call on the Biden administration to reverse this dangerous decision."
BACKGROUND
On January 26, President Biden paused approvals for pending and future applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from new projects. During this time, the Department of Energy (DOE) will conduct a review during the pause that will look at the economic and environmental impacts of projects seeking approval to export LNG to Europe and Asia where the fuel is in demand.
The decision is a setback for the United States, which became the world's largest LNG supplier in 2023 after European nations began purchasing less LNG and natural gas products from Russia following its war with Ukraine.
Currently, there are multiple LNG export terminals under construction or consideration, including the nation's largest project in Louisiana.
MORE: Myth vs. Fact: Biden's LNG Export Ban
Top natural gas producing states in the United States
1. Texas—9.25 Tcf—25.4%
2. Pennsylvania—7.41 Tcf—20.4%
3. Louisiana—4.04 Tcf—11.1%
4. West Virginia—2.69 Tcf—7.4%
5. Oklahoma—2.51 Tcf—6.9%