US LNG Exports: Policy Update

This week the US House of Representatives voted to approve legislation that would expedite the Department of Energy's (DOE) process for approving applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries with which the US does not have a free trade agreement (FTA). This action is the culmination of an active month for US LNG export policy. On May 29, DOE formally proposed a major change in its approach to evaluating applications to export LNG to non-FTA countries. In the Senate last week, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on LNG exports with a focus on DOE's new proposal, and legislation was introduced that—like the House-passed bill—would place a tight deadline on DOE for final action on export applications.