U.S. DOE: No Final Orders on Pending LNG Export Applications to Non-FTA Countries Until Completion of Study
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Smith told House Representative Edward Markey in a February 24, 2012 letter that DOE will not issue final orders on pending applications to export LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries until the second half of a two-part study examining LNG exports issues has been completed and DOE has analyzed the results. Smith confirmed that the first part of the study is complete and the second part is expected to be completed this Spring. The letter was released as part of a House Democratic Natural Resources Committee Report on issues relating to increased U.S. gas exports that has not been officially adopted by the Committee.
In related news, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told Platts LNG Daily [subscription required] that he believes the United States should not export domestic gas if the exports would harm U.S. consumers or negatively impact U.S. energy security.