NorthAmOil: DoE’s long-awaited LNG study cautions against new permits

The US Department of Energy (DoE) released its study on the economic, environmental and national security implications of new LNG export permits on December 17, with the findings cautioning against a business-as-usual approach.  

Carried out by the DoE’s national laboratories, the study found that approving additional LNG export projects would result in 1.5 gigatonnes of added greenhouses gases (GHGs) entering the atmosphere by 2050, about 25% of total current US emissions.  Extra LNG exports could also displace more renewable energy than coal, said the study.

Additionally, the study concluded that exporting additional gas abroad would increase wholesale domestic natural gas prices by about 31% with less gas available to consumers in the US.

Moreover, the study found that LNG export terminals are often concentrated in disadvantaged communities, which already suffer from emissions and other forms of pollution. Natural gas emits methane, a potential climate change pollutant.

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