Center for Liquefied Natural Gas

Senate Natural Gas Forum Reaffirms LNG Exports are Positive for U.S. Economy, Workforce

lngfactsadmin — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:03:26 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 21, 2013) — In response to today’s second forum on natural gas by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee entitled “Domestic Supply and Exports,” Bill Cooper, president of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas issued the following statement:

“Today’s forum underscores what countless third-party studies, energy experts and economists have found: LNG exports will be a win-win for our economy, create jobs and enhance our geopolitical relationships by supplying much-needed energy resources to our trading partners. Thanks to an abundance of natural gas, we are uniquely positioned to both meet domestic demand and sell some abroad, but this opportunity won’t last forever. With a thorough review complete and a robust regulatory process in place, it is time for the U.S. Department of Energy to move forward with the swift approval of pending LNG export projects.”

Today’s panel of witnesses reflected diverse expertise with the presence of the Brookings Institution, Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, American Chemistry Council, ICF International, Sempra Energy and Cheniere Energy Inc., all of whom recognized that the United States should seize the opportunity exporting LNG represents and the widespread benefits it would bring to our economy.

Here’s what they had to say:

Charles Ebinger, Brookings Institution: “[E]ven if the volumes exported from the United States aren’t large, there is an ideological geopolitical benefit to U.S. LNG exports. Exports will provide certainty to allies and economic partners around the world that the United States is a steadfast advocate for free trade.”

John Mohlis, The Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council: “I believe North American natural gas will be exported. The question is whether it will be exported via the U.S. West Coast or British Columbia. I would rather see the United States, and Oregon benefit from this trade by building the Jordan Cove terminal.”

Cal Dooley, American Chemistry Council: “We support exports of American-made products, including Liquefied Natural Gas, and we oppose imposition of any new LNG export bans or restrictions.”

Harry Vidas, ICF International: “The net effects on U.S. employment from LNG exports are projected to be positive with average net job growth of 73,100 to 452,300 between 2016 and 2035, including 1,700-11,400 net job gains in the specific manufacturing sectors that include refining, petrochemicals, and chemicals.”

Octavio Simoes, Sempra Energy: “The United States has the chance to exert global leadership as the world’s top producer of natural gas and must not squander the opportunity to capture the net economic benefits of LNG exports to the economy.”

Pat Outtrim, Cheniere Energy, Inc.: “It is clear that our ability to produce natural gas is far outpacing our capacity to use it. Natural gas liquefaction is one among many industrial applications planned to utilize our abundant resources, including other uses such as electricity generation and transportation.”

In addition, witnesses from the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Energy Policy Forum and Industrial Energy Consumers of America participated in today’s forum.

Watch the video of the full forum HERE.

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/.

CLNG is a trade association of LNG producers, shippers, terminal operators and developers, and energy trade associations. Its goal is to enhance public education and understanding about LNG by serving as a clearinghouse for LNG information. For more information, visit www.lngfacts.org.

CLNG Commends DOE on Latest LNG Export Approval, Calls for More

lngfactsadmin — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:26:42 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2013) — The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) commends the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its decision to approve Freeport LNG’s non-free trade (NFTA) applications and restart the process for expanding LNG exports. Immediately after the announcement, CLNG President Bill Cooper made the following remarks:

“The approval of the Freeport LNG export application marks a good day for America. The overwhelming evidence supports LNG exports as good for our economy, our workforce, our industries, and our trading partners. Now that DOE has had a considerable amount of time to examine the issues, it needs to focus its efforts on the approval process so Americans may realize the benefits LNG exports can bring to our economy.”

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/.

CLNG Congratulates Moniz, Urges Action on LNG Exports

lngfactsadmin — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:04:14 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2013) — The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas congratulates Dr. Ernest Moniz on his unanimous confirmation as the next Secretary of Energy by the U.S. Senate. Following the vote, CLNG President Bill Cooper issued the below statement:

“The overwhelming support shown yesterday is a testament to the qualifications Dr. Moniz will bring to the Department of Energy (DOE). With his confirmation complete, Dr. Moniz is now in a position to conclude the extensive review of all pending LNG export permits and accelerate the approval process. LNG exports will help to revitalize U.S. manufacturing by creating jobs and generating substantial government revenue.”

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/.

Liquefied Natural Gas Not Involved in Alabama Barge Explosions

lngfactsadmin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:54:56 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 26, 2013) —The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) today released the following statement with regard to the April 24 explosions that engulfed two barges in flames in Mobile, Alabama:

“Our sincerest sympathies go out to the victims who were critically injured during the tragic barge explosions in Mobile, Alabama on Wednesday evening.

“At the same time, CLNG would like to clarify that the incident was associated with natural gasoline, which is a naturally-occurring liquid often found in association with natural gas that is used as a petrochemical feedstock and in the refining business. Natural gasoline is not liquefied natural gas (LNG) as some news stories have inaccurately reported. The properties of natural gasoline are very different from those of LNG. Although substantial energy is stored in LNG, it cannot be released rapidly enough to cause the overpressures associated with an explosion in an unconfined space. LNG has been safely handled for many years and the industry remains committed to maintaining the safety and security of this essential fuel.”

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Wall Street Journal Publishes CLNG Letter Clarifying Policy of LNG Exports

lngfactsadmin — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:48:36 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 8, 2013) — The Wall Street Journal has published a Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) letter to the editor in response to a Feb. 25 op-ed “Wanted: A Balanced Approach to Shale Gas Exports” and subsequent letters submitted March 1 in reply. CLNG’s letter refuted claims made in Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris’ op-ed that energy producers were interested in “bypassing a public-interest review process required by law” in natural gas exports applications.

In his letter to the editor, CLNG President Bill Cooper wrote that the op-ed and other letters overlooked the “rebuttable presumption that the proposed export of natural gas is in the public interest,” a Department of Energy policy established by the Natural Gas Act, and “those who oppose the application [must] overcome that presumption.” Dow Chemical and other opponents have yet to overcome the rebuttable presumption. Cooper mentioned that numerous studies, including the DOE-commissioned NERA Economic Consulting macroeconomic report, concluded that natural gas exports would provide “net economic benefits” to the United States.

CLNG’s letter can be viewed in the Wall Street Journal’s online edition, or in its entirety below:

Gas Exports Help the U.S. Economy

The March 1 letters responding to Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris’s Feb. 25 op-ed “Wanted: A Balanced Approach to Shale Gas Exports” refute a number of Mr. Liveris’s mistaken, misleading claims. Yet one critical legal point has been overlooked: the rebuttable presumption.

Mr. Liveris accuses energy producers of having an interest in “bypassing a public-interest review process required by law” for natural gas exports. This is unequivocally false, as LNG exporters support the current regulatory process. Exporters do, however, look forward to the process beginning again after a de facto moratorium on permit approvals that the U.S. Department of Energy has imposed since late 2011.

According to the DOE, the Natural Gas Act establishes “a rebuttable presumption that a proposed export of natural gas is in the public interest, and DOE must grant such an application unless those who oppose the application overcome that presumption.” Notably, opponents such as Dow Chemical have failed to overcome that rebuttable presumption with any concrete evidence that exports would not serve the public interest. Numerous studies, however, including the recent DOE-commissioned macroeconomic report from NERA Economic Consulting, have found that exports would deliver “net economic benefits” to the U.S. economy.

Bill Cooper
President
Center for Liquefied Natural Gas
Washington

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Press Conference Call: Five Questions for Dow on LNG Exports

lngfactsadmin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:31:57 +0000

Please join Bill Cooper, President of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG), to discuss the widespread support of the manufacturing industry for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and the unique window of opportunity the U.S. has to take advantage of the economic benefits that will come from selling just some of our vast natural gas supplies to our trading partners abroad.

Who: Bill Cooper, President, Center for Liquefied Natural Gas

When: Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 11:30 AM ET

Where: Dial in: 1-888-427-9411/ ID: 4354485

RSVP: Rebecca.Brown@fticonsulting.com

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s new LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/

Experts Agree: U.S. Has Abundant Natural Gas Supplies

lngfactsadmin — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:18:03 +0000

Respected voices on energy describe natural gas abundance, underscoring opportunity for exports

Washington, D.C. (February 6, 2013) — Expert witnesses testifying during yesterday’s House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing agreed that the United States has plentiful supplies of natural gas, underscoring the ability and need to expand domestic use and move forward with exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Here’s what they had to say:

Daniel Yergin, IHS: “While markets and economics will eventually determine the realistic scale of U.S. exports, one also has to take into account wider considerations in assessing policy regarding future LNG exports. For decades, the United States has made the free flow of energy supplies one of the cornerstones of foreign policy. It is a principle we have urged on many other nations. How can the United States, on one hand, say to a close ally like Japan, suffering energy shortages from Fukushima, please reduce your oil imports from Iran, and yet turn around and, on the other, say new natural gas exports to Japan are prohibited?”

Adam Sieminski, Energy Information Administration (EIA): “Cumulative production of dry natural gas from 2011 through 2035 in the AEO2013 Reference case is about 8 percent higher than in AEO2012, primarily reflecting continued increases in shale gas production that result from the dual application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.”

Mary Hutzler, Institute for Energy Research and former energy analyst at EIA : “The outlook for natural gas production in the United States has dramatically changed over the last decade. Just a few years ago, U.S. manufacturing facilities were moving abroad to pursue more affordable gas. At the time, the U.S. had relatively high natural gas prices. Now … energy companies are considering building liquefied natural gas terminals to export natural gas and new manufacturing plants are springing up around the country. The boom in natural gas production has completely changed the natural gas landscape and has greatly lowered natural gas prices for consumers and industrial users.”

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s new LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/

CLNG: Today’s House Hearing Confirms U.S. Can Both Export LNG and Meet Domestic Gas Demand

lngfactsadmin — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:26:19 +0000

Washington, D.C. (February 5, 2013) — The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas President Bill Cooper made the following statement on today’s House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing “American Energy Security and Innovation: An Assessment of North America’s Energy Resources”:

“Participants in today’s hearing confirmed again that the United States has abundant supplies of natural gas and more than enough to allow for exports while also meeting growing domestic demand. The ability to export natural gas represents a window of opportunity to create more jobs, generate more public revenues and reduce our trade deficit. We can reap those benefits as soon as the U.S. Department of Energy officially resumes the approval process for proposed LNG export projects.”

Click HERE to view a fact sheet on the key findings from the U.S. Department of Energy’s third party report on LNG exports.

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s new LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/

CLNG, Small Business and Labor Leaders, Dominion, and GE hold Joint Staff Briefing to Discuss Support for LNG Exports

lngfactsadmin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:42:07 +0000

Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2013) — Today, the final day of the Department of Energy (DOE) comment period for its macroeconomic study, the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG) hosted representatives from small business, labor, Dominion and GE, at a Capitol Hill briefing to discuss the benefits of LNG exports across all industries.

Bill Cooper, president of CLNG, said: “Our group of speakers today was reflective of the multitude of industries and communities that will benefit from this opportunity to export some of America’s abundant natural gas resources in global markets.”

Adam Diaz, a local business owner in Susquehanna County, Pa. commented: “In the last three years since the natural gas industry came to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, my company has been able to grow from 30 employees to 250, while our revenue has increased from less than $2 million annually to almost $50 million today. This growth has led to an increased tax contribution of almost $3.5 million in federal, state and local taxes. Recently though, drilling rig counts have been falling in my area. LNG exports will increase demand, bring back the rigs and allow businesses like mine to grow and add much needed jobs to local economies to keep them strong.”

Brad Karbowsky of The United Association of Plumbers, Fitters and HVAC Techs added: “LNG terminals are multi-billion dollar investments that require a highly trained and skilled workforce to build. LNG facility construction will employ thousands of my brothers and sisters in the labor movement for many years to come as well as provide opportunities for new apprentices. The billions of dollars in wages generated by these well-paying jobs will be multiplied throughout communities across the country in the form of investment and taxes, which will in turn be used to support schools, fire stations and other essential public services. This new source of shared prosperity will provide a foundation for future growth.”

Diane Leopold, senior vice president at Dominion Transmission remarked: “Study after study has shown that both the nation’s security and economy will benefit broadly from allowing some of our abundant and growing natural gas supplies to be delivered to international markets. The DOE study is hardly singing solo here, but merely adding another voice to a booming chorus.”

Michael Farina, Global Strategy and Analytics Leader, Fuels Market Intelligence at GE stated: “GE supports free markets and free trade. As a global company, we have witnessed firsthand the economic vitality generated when local workers, local industry and local resources are unleashed to compete in world markets.”

In December, DOE released a third-party macroeconomic report it commissioned detailing the net benefits LNG exports would bring to the U.S. economy. Specifically, the report stated that; “the net result is an increase in U.S. households’ real income and welfare,” (DOE report, p. 6) and that “all export scenarios are welfare-improving for U.S. consumers…” (DOE report, p. 55).

The initial comment period on the report concludes today. Reply comments will be accepted for 30 days beginning on January 25.

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Read more about the benefits of natural gas exports at CLNG’s new LNG initiative website: http://lnginitiative.org/

Tell the Department of Energy that you support jobs created by energy exports

lngfactsadmin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:57:29 +0000

TAKE ACTION: Soon the U.S. Secretary of Energy will be making a decision on whether to allow exports of LNG to our trading partners. Currently, before this decision is made, a public comment period is underway (until February 25, 2013) for citizens to let DOE know where they stand. Please click here and use the form to send a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Energy urging them to approve permits for job-creating LNG exports.