In a letter today to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) asked for a full review of LNG export policy to ensure that, among other things, that LNG export facilities should not have greater investment protection than the domestic manufacturing sector.
“It is very concerning that the DOE is making vital public policy decisions that have significant consequences on the manufacturing sector, without having set legal standards on these matters,” said Paul Cicio, President of IECA. “We had hoped that the DOE would play the role of public defender and consumer advocate, but that is not the case.”
The IECA letter is in response to the October 17, 2013 letter from the DOE to Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The DOE letter responds to Senator Wyden’s request for clarity on several LNG issues, including DOE authority to rescind previously approved LNG export terminals.
The IECA letter to Secretary Moniz states that, “While we recognize that Congress gave the DOE authority to modify or rescind prior approved applications to export LNG, the statutes are also very clear that you are to ensure all decisions regarding LNG shipments, especially to countries without a free trade agreement, reflect the ‘public interest determination.’ We do not believe that your ‘rescission policy’ is consistent with the public interest determination.”
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, November 08, 2013