Tennessee Joins 23-State Coalition Sounding Alarm on Current Administration’s LNG Export ‘Pause’

NASHVILLE- This week, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a 23-state coalition warning the current Administration and the Department of Energy that its “pause” on the export of liquified natural gas (LNG) is unlawful and will only serve to embolden America’s adversaries, hamper the U.S.’s ability to protect itself, and harm the economy.

“The Administration’s LNG export pause is illegal and will hurt America’s national security,” Attorney General Skrmetti said in a statement.

The AGs also warned that the Department of Energy lacks the authority to issue blanket denials for export permits without an act of Congress. Additionally, the Department of Energy failed to allow anyone the opportunity to weigh in on the regulatory change.

The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of LNG. If America’s natural LNG resources are closed to the market, consumers will be forced to turn to other suppliers, the attorneys general argued. This means consumers will flock to the next largest producers of LNG: Russia, Iran, and China.

Those countries do not share America’s interests or values, the letter reads. The attorneys general urged the current Administration to change course on the temporary export pause immediately.

In addition to attorneys general from Tennessee, Kansas, Indiana, Louisiana, and West Virginia, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming joined the letter.

A copy of the letter is available here.

###