Johnson’s bill on LNG exports places 30-day deadline on DOE

Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Bill Johnson introduced H.R. 351, the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act, a bill to help expedite the approval of U.S. liquefied natural gas export projects.

“Increasing U.S. LNG exports will help strengthen the domestic economy and create U.S. jobs while increasing energy security for our allies abroad,” Johnson said in a statement.

This legislation would bring certainty to DOE’s export approval process and help eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic delays that have held up construction of LNG projects. It places a 30-day deadline on DOE to issue a final decision on applications following the conclusion of the NEPA environmental review of the LNG facilities. Several Republican and Democratic colleagues joined Johnson in cosponsoring the bill, which mirrors legislation that passed the House in the 113th Congress by a strong bipartisan vote. “For too long the approval process for LNG export permits has been bogged down by bureaucratic red tape. I’m honored to have introduced this bipartisan legislation to expedite the approval process for LNG export permits.”

“For too long the approval process for LNG export permits has been bogged down by bureaucratic red tape. I’m honored to have introduced this bipartisan legislation to expedite the approval process for LNG export permit,” said Johnson.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton stressed  that, less than a decade ago, U.S. was building LNG import terminals to meet its energy needs. But today, thanks to the shale boom, LNG export terminals are in high demand as the rest of the world seeks to buy U.S. natural gas excess.

“We need policies that accommodate this dramatic energy turnaround,” he said.

According to Upton, this bill is one important part of the Architecture of Abundance, and it will send the signal to the U.S. Eastern European friends that affordable U.S. gas will be an available alternative to Russian energy.

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Press Release; Image: billjohnson.house.gov