Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will halt export license approvals of liquified gas exports (LNG) while the agency reviews its criteria for determining if an application is in the public interest. LNG exports not only pollute communities and drive us deeper into the climate crisis, they also raise energy prices for families.

Abigail Dillen, President of Earthjustice, released the following statement in response:

“We applaud the Biden administration for taking this tremendously important step to align its decision-making on gas exports with U.S. climate goals. As communities across the country face the devastating impacts of the climate crisis and fossil fuel pollution, it’s never been clearer that rubber-stamping LNG exports is not in the public interest. We look forward to working with the Department of Energy to make sure that the environmental and economic risks of LNG exports are fully accounted for when it makes public interest determinations.”

The U.S. is now the largest exporter of methane gas in the world, and new LNG infrastructure threatens to keep us locked into decades of fossil fuel use and climate-warming emissions.  Most LNG export facilities are proposed in the same communities of color and low-income communities that are already overburdened by fossil fuel pollution and on the frontlines of climate change. As it updates its public interest determinations, DOE must follow the letter and spirit of President Biden’s commitments to climate action and environmental justice communities. Earthjustice will continue to partner with impacted communities to advocate for policies that protect their health and safety and stop dangerous fossil fuel infrastructure.