WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) issued the following statement today in response to the Department of Energy’s announcement that it has conditionally authorized the Freeport LNG Expansion and FLNG Liquefaction to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement.
“I welcome DOE’s long-awaited decision to approve this license application for the Freeport facility for the export of liquefied natural gas. The committee recently heard testimony from a number of experts who explained the export of domestically produced natural gas supplies could help create jobs and reduce our trade deficit as well as improve America’s global standing and strengthen our ties with key allies. This is now the second license application DOE has approved, but there remain many more applications in the pipeline still awaiting a decision from DOE and it remains unclear when these decisions will be made. Given the obvious benefits America stands to gain from these export opportunities, I hope DOE will move forward with the review process and provide greater clarity on the schedule to make these determinations."
