In 2023, a year of record-shattering global heat, unprecedented wildfires and other historic climate disasters, the United States has also been breaking records… in fossil fuel exports.
That’s right. The US recently became the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which means record amounts of the powerful greenhouse gas methane are leaking all over the world. And it’s only expected to get worse. The US is planning to quadruple LNG exports from the Gulf of Mexico, with 20 huge new export terminals planned. This includes the monster LNG terminal Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) in Cameron, Louisiana, which would generate 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions than the Willow Project in Alaska.
That’s why Bill McKibben – author, educator, and environmentalist – is calling this possibly “the single biggest climate fight left on planet Earth.”
So we need to fight back!
The Biden Administration has the power to immediately stop the approval of LNG exports from new facilities like CP2. The DOE should fully reviews the Public Interest Determination policy used to decide whether these projects should move forward.
Sign the petition urging President Biden and DOE secretary Jennifer Granholm to stop CP2 and all new LNG permit approvals until they look at the impact of these facilities on our communities, the climate, and US consumers.
Temporary victory?
On January 27, the Biden Administration released its decision to pause all pending U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decisions on LNG exports. This announcement was a major step toward protecting our communities, our economy, and our climate from costly and dirty LNG exports. For years, the DOE approved every LNG export license it reviewed, in spite of the concerns raised by frontline and environmental justice communities. CCAN Action Fund commends President Biden and Secretary Granholm for listening, taking action, and giving DOE the opportunity to include public health, environmental justice, climate, economic, and national security factors into critical LNG-licensing decisions for the first time.
“This is a day so many frontline and environmental justice communities have been waiting for,” CCAN Federal Director Quentin Scott stated. “On behalf of CCAN Action Fund members, we applaud the President for taking a bold step towards standing up to the big polluters and these dangerous gas exports to protect our shared climate. For the first time, LNG projects will be scrutinized based on their climate, economic, and national security impacts. We strongly believe that LNG projects awaiting permits will fail these tests because these gas exports only serve the interests of big oil and gas corporations.”
“At the same time, this is just a pause. As the White House said, more action is needed. We will continue to keep up the fight against the fossil fuel industry and its allies in Congress, who will do and say whatever they can to stop this progress and protect their billions of dollars in profits.”
Over the coming months, CCAN Action Fund looks forward to the opportunity to engage in the process to create a more comprehensive Public Interest Determination policy, which we believe will inevitably lead to the conclusion that these export facilities are NOT in the public interest.
About CP2
Currently, Venture Global is seeking approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to construct CP2 – a new LNG gas export terminal that would be the largest volume of LNG ever approved for export. CP2 would sit adjacent to Venture Global’s already-existing export facility, Calcasieu Pass LNG. This facility was found to have over 2,000 air permit deviations and violated its permit on 84% of the days it was initially in operation.
CP2’s pollution, traffic, sprawl, and impact would affect nine local communities, including Cameron, Creole, Grand Lake, the Lake Charles suburbs, Vinton, Starks, and Deweyville, Texas. Shrimpers and fishermen have helped lead the opposition to CP2 already, citing the likelihood that the projects will wipe out their way of life because LNG export facilities like CP2 require heavy dredging of channels and rivers, devastating wildlife and commercial fishing in the process.
The Biden Administration can and must rise to the occasion and seize this opportunity to fight for climate action by using their authority to stop CP2. However, that only happens if we let our voices be heard.
More LNG Battles
Take Action
Stand with local communities and tell the Biden Administration to STOP all new LNG exports until it updates how it determines whether new licenses are truly in the public interest.
Take action today to STOP the massive buildout of LNG export facilities.
For questions or to get more involved on this campaign, email quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org or fill out a one-on-one request to meet with the federal team.
