Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Representatives Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), and Sean Casten (D-IL-06) led 40 Members of Congress to demand that recently confirmed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright deny export authorizations for new liquified natural gas (LNG) exports that will raise energy prices on American families and businesses and fuel climate chaos. Last month alone, the Trump Administration reversed President Biden’s pause on LNG exports and approved two new LNG export facilities, Commonwealth LNG and Golden Pass LNG, just the first of many projects that will harm the planet and domestic economy.
“On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order directing DOE to resume consideration of pending LNG export applications based on ‘the economic and employment impacts to the United States and the impact to the security of allies and partners.’ However, DOE already completed analysis on the economic and employment impacts of LNG exports on December 17, 2024, and the conclusions are clear,” the lawmakers stressed.
They continued, “This analysis, meant to inform how DOE makes public interest determinations for new LNG export approvals as required under the Natural Gas Act, concluded that LNG exports lead to higher energy prices for both American families and businesses. Indeed, DOE’s analysis found that unconstrained exports of U.S. LNG will raise wholesale domestic natural gas prices by over 30% and increase costs for the average American household by up to $122 per year by 2050. These impacts not only undermine economic stability, but also threaten job security in energy-intensive sectors.”
“DOE’s analysis shows that continuing to authorize LNG exports is not in the public interest. The U.S. is already the world’s largest exporter of LNG and is on track to reach record levels of exports in 2025, including under projects approved during the Biden Administration. We don’t need to further expand exports to fuel the economies of our adversaries while harming consumers in the U.S. Already under President Trump, inflation has risen, energy prices have increased, and grocery costs, particularly eggs, have grown rapidly. The Administration should not add to this burden,” the lawmakers concluded.
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Peter Welch (D-VT) and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Seth Magaziner (D-RI-02), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC-12), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-04), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-31), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), and Diana DeGette (D-CO-01).
Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:
Secretary Wright:
We write to urge the Department of Energy (DOE) to deny export authorizations for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports that will raise energy prices on American families and businesses.
On his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order directing DOE to resume consideration of pending LNG export applications based on “the economic and employment impacts to the United States and the impact to the security of allies and partners.” However, DOE already completed analysis on the economic and employment impacts of LNG exports on December 17, 2024, and the conclusions are clear.
This analysis, meant to inform how DOE makes public interest determinations for new LNG export approvals as required under the Natural Gas Act, concluded that LNG exports lead to higher energy prices for both American families and businesses. Indeed, DOE’s analysis found that unconstrained exports of U.S. LNG will raise wholesale domestic natural gas prices by over 30% and increase costs for the average American household by up to $122 per year by 2050. These impacts not only undermine economic stability, but also threaten job security in energy-intensive sectors.
Further, DOE’s analysis concluded that the amount of already-approved LNG exports is more than sufficient to meet global demand from our allies for decades to come. In particular, it notes that European demand for natural gas has flattened and is set to decline substantially. At the same time, China has already signed several contracts with operating or proposed U.S. LNG projects and is on track to double its LNG imports by 2030. Once LNG is exported, it can be resold and rerouted anywhere, including to adversaries who intend to stockpile LNG, wait for global prices to rise, and make windfall profits.
DOE’s analysis shows that continuing to authorize LNG exports is not in the public interest. The U.S. is already the world’s largest exporter of LNG and is on track to reach record levels of exports in 2025, including under projects approved during the Biden Administration. We don’t need to further expand exports to fuel the economies of our adversaries while harming consumers in the U.S. Already under President Trump, inflation has risen, energy prices have increased, and grocery costs, particularly eggs, have grown rapidly. The Administration should not add to this burden.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt response.
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