A group of 16 Republican attorneys general from different parts of the country sued the Biden administration on Thursday regarding its temporary halt on federal permits for new liquid natural gas (LNG) exports.
The states, led by Louisiana and Texas, are asking the Department of Energy to reverse the ban, which was declared in January. They argue that the administration does not have the authority to unilaterally reject the permits, and that the ban goes against what Congress has decided.
“This ban ignores legal requirements, disregards the usual regulatory process, disrupts the industry, affects the economies of the plaintiffs, and undermines our constitutional system,” the lawsuit states. reads. “These illegal actions force the plaintiffs to once again seek help from the courts to enforce the law.”
The lawsuit alleges that Biden’s ban is influenced by “activists” and driven by political motives, stating that it comes “during an election year, and following a sustained pressure campaign from billionaire conglomerates, celebrities, ‘influencers,’ and banks.”
In January, the Biden administration decided to pause LNG exports amid pressure from environmentalists, promising to review the country’s investment in this fuel source. While supporters praise it as a cleaner option to coal, others point out that leaks in pipelines can make it equally polluting.
Liquid natural gas has long been seen as a transitional source between coal and renewable energy, with the LNG promotion initially advocated by former President Obama. President Biden’s permit ban represented a significant change from his predecessor.
The lawsuit follows repeated calls from Congressional Republicans for Biden to reverse the ban. House Oversight Committee Republicans requested information about the policy in a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm last week. “The timing of the decision, in an election year, suggests that political considerations influenced the action,” the three Republicans wrote, referring to a report in The Wall Street Journal indicating that the administration consulted with environmental advocacy groups before the announcement.
The Republican-controlled House
approved a bill that would transfer LNG permit authority from the White House to an independent body in February, with a similar Senate proposal introduced around the same time. A group of 16 Republican attorneys general from different parts of the country sued the Biden administration on Thursday regarding its temporary halt on federal permits for new liquid natural gas (LNG) exports. The states, led by Louisiana and Texas, are asking the Department of Energy to reverse the ban, which was declared in January. They argue that the administration does not have the authority to unilaterally reject the permits, and that the ban goes against what Congress has decided.
