Democrats tout study saying LNG is dirtier than coal
Democratic lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to stop approving additional natural gas export projects, citing new research concluding that liquefied natural gas releases more greenhouse gases than coal.
Selling liquefied natural gas (LNG) to buyers overseas has long been touted by the oil and gas industry as a way to reduce global planet-warming emissions. That’s because LNG could help displace coal, which emits more carbon dioxide when burned than natural gas.
Related Knowledge Center: Liquefied natural gas
Driven by plentiful natural gas produced from shale plays, the United States began exporting liquefied natural gas in 2016 when the Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana opened and shipped its first cargo. Since then, additional capacity, or trains, have been added to Sabine Pass, and terminals have become operational in Cameron Parish, La.; Hackberry, La.; Cove Point, Md.; and Corpus Christi, Texas. The Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. LNG export capacity will reach 8.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by the end of 2019, making it the third largest in the world, behind Australia and Qatar. The tariff war with China has the potential to impact some final investment decisions for additional terminals in the coming months.