Trump’s Energy Emergency Prohibits LNG Exports

Filed March 20, 2025

By Tyson Slocum

Our comments are in response to the December 20 notice in the Federal Register, as amended by the February 5 notice,[2] seeking comments on the Department of Energy’s 2024 LNG Export Study. The study conclusively demonstrates that authorizing additional exports of LNG will result in higher domestic energy price burdens for American households, thereby making approvals likely inconsistent with the public interest [15 USC § 717b(a)].

Directly relevant to the study, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14156 of January 20, 2025, declaring a National Energy Emergency, determining that

The energy and critical minerals identification, leasing, development, production, transportation, refining, and generation capacity of the United States are all far too inadequate to meet our Nation’s needs . . . our Nation’s inadequate energy supply and infrastructure causes and makes worse the high energy prices that devastate Americans, particularly those living on low- and fixed-incomes . . . These numerous problems are most pronounced in our Nation’s Northeast and West Coast, where dangerous State and local policies jeopardize our Nation’s core national defense and security needs, and devastate the prosperity of not only local residents but the entire United States population. The United States’ insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to our Nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy. In light of these findings, I hereby declare a national emergency.

The National Energy Emergency declaration—and President Trump’s official assessment that America’s “inadequate energy supply . . . causes and makes worse the high energy prices that devastate Americans” decisively supports the 2024 LNG Export Study’s conclusions that increasing the volume of LNG exports exacerbates domestic supply and demand shortages, exposing Americans to unjust and unreasonable price increases. Diverting U.S. natural gas away from needed domestic markets in favor of foreign destinations exacerbates the conditions cited in the President’s National Energy Emergency. Therefore, for as long as President Trump’s declared National Energy Emergency remains in effect, the U.S. Department of Energy cannot authorize any additional LNG exports, as doing so is inconsistent with the public interest.

The full filing is here:

LNGdockets