Biden’s Big Decision on LNG is here at last

At long last, President Biden’s Department of Energy report on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports is out, available for public review, and comment.

There’s more below on what I think is good, bad, and wanting in this report; But the short version for busy NVDA climate activists is this: The report is pretty good, and tells us what we already know to be true: LNG exports are bad for the climate, consumers, and our communities. Unfortunately, Biden waited until it was almost too late for those findings to make more than a symbolic impact.

But it’s not technically too late yet. And the obvious thing for Biden to do with this report is to heed the advice his Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, that “Unfettered” LNG exports are “neither sustainable nor advisable.” If you already know why, click here to sign our petition telling President Biden to immediately reject all new LNG export facilities — including CP2 — and pledge to join resistance events and protests in January to convince him.

You can also share this message wherever you’re online. Here’s a few options:

The good and what’s in the report

First of all, let’s remember how we got here and celebrate the victory that this report represents. Back in January of 2024, we were part of a march and action in New Orleans, which led to the plan for a sit in at the USDOE in February, which was a big enough threat that Biden paused all new LNG export approvals and pledged to study the issue for a year.

All year long, we’ve fought back repeated attempts by Joe Manchin and fossil fueled fascists in Congress to repeal the pause or force the DOE to lie or abandon this study and conclude that LNG exports are in the national interest. We’ve also struggled all year to get other agencies that review and permit LNG exports, like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), to pause or reject fossil fuel exports along with the DOE.

Our efforts at FERC were less successful than our efforts at DOE because, until recently, other agencies have all said they needed this DOE report to tell them whether fossil fuel exports, and LNG exports in particular, really had an impact on the economy or environment. This fall, the DC circuit courts more or less ordered FERC to at least look at the data on questions about climate and cumulative impacts. And just a week ago they responded by pausing some permits for CP2, which is welcome progress.

Lots of climate activists have been making the case that the symbolism of getting and elected Democrat, not to mention the President of the United States, to say that fossil fuel exports are bad is a tremendous victory. Here’s Dr. Vive (Dr Genevieve Gunther) doing a good job explaining that on our new favorite social media platform.

I'm not here—I'm on vacation!—but I must pop in to say: the DOE letter calling increased methane gas exports “neither sustainable nor advisable" is a VERY, VERY BIG DEAL. This is the first time a Dem administration has come out against expanding a fossil fuel! 🧵 www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/c…

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— Dr. Genevieve Guenther (@doctorvive.bsky.social) December 17, 2024 at 11:09 AM

What bad and what’s lacking

Unfortunately, DOE delayed the report by several weeks, which means the 60 day comment period will extend well into President Trump’s second term. Trump may attempt to disregard or throw out the report altogether, and he’ll certainly ignore its findings and permit more LNG exports. But if nothing else, Dr Vive and others argue, the report will be good fodder for lawsuits and future FERC actions – DOE’s own press release more or less encourages people to sue Trump if he ignores this report in the future.

Biden doesn’t technically have to wait for the end of the comment period to reject existing permit applications. He can, right now, reject the applications for at least six new LNG export facilities that have been waiting on this report just like we have: Commonwealth LNG, Port Arthur LNG Phase II, Lake Charles LNG, Magnolia LNG, Saguaro II, and including CP2 LNG.​ Correctly pointing out that faith (or in this case the lack of faith in fossil fuel exports) is meaningless without action – at least in President Biden’s tradition of Catholicism. Here’s a different Blusky thread making that point in light of the recent opening of another new LNG export facility in Louisiana.

That’s what our petition today is about – calling on Biden to take the next logical step and having found (as we knew he would) that LNG exports are bad for consumers, the climate, and our common home – just reject the damned permits once and for all through Executive Action.

So far, Biden hasn’t shown any enthusiasm for rejecting fossil fuels or taking the initiative on climate action. Sec Granholm has already said the final decision on what to do with this report will fall to the Trump Administration. And the DOE has made it very clear that they do not intend to issue any decisions based on this report. It’s a doorstop. On the other side of a door. Which is hitting them in the ass as they leave.

We suspect that to get Biden and his DOE to actually reject fossil fuel projects, and not just talk about it, we’re going to need to follow through on our threat from a year ago and take Non Violent, Direct Action at the US Department of Energy before Biden leaves office. 

That’s the second part of the petition today – sending a signal to the Biden Administration that you’re (still) prepared to take action if they don’t follow through on this report with actions to reject CP2 and other fossil fuel export projects. We don’t know exactly how or when that action will come together – but if you sign now we’ll keep you in the loop and tell you how ot participate in DC or wherever you live once our plans are set and frontline leaders have been consulted.