Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has begun consideration of an energy bill that includes a provision based on Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s bipartisan bill to expedite the approval process for exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the United States.
“Colorado has led the way in demonstrating we can produce natural gas safely and in a way that protects drinking water, reduces fugitive methane emissions, and safeguards nearby communities,” Bennet said. “Our LNG exports provision will help grow Colorado’s natural gas sector. And expediting the approval process for LNG exports will support Colorado jobs by helping natural gas producers in our state expand to new overseas markets.”
The LNG exports provision is based on a bipartisan bill Bennet helped introduce to speed up the approval process for exports of LNG to countries which do not have free trade agreements with the United States. Prior to approving applications to export natural gas to these countries, the Secretary of Energy must make a public interest determination which includes a public comment period. The LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act specifically requires a decision on any LNG export application within 45 days after the environmental review document for the project is published.