Ohio Senate wants Biden’s new natural gas policy stopped

Oil and gas groups, along with labor associations, have applauded the Ohio Senate for pushing back against the Biden administration’s pause in natural gas permitting.

Senate Resolution 121 unanimously passed with an amendment that amplifies the importance of U.S. liquefied natural gas to the economy, national security and position in the world.

“We acknowledge and applaud the state Senate for advancing this resolution that supports the continued build-out of natural gas infrastructure and recognizes the strategic importance of U.S. LNG to help sustain good American jobs and safeguard our national security,” American Petroleum Institute Ohio Executive Director Chris Zeigler said. “Here in Ohio, one of the leading natural gas-producing regions in the world, the natural gas industry supports tens of thousands of jobs while contributing billions to our state’s economy.”

As previously reported by The Center Square, the Biden administration recently announced it was establishing a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement countries until the U.S. Department of Energy updates “underlying analyses for authorizations.” It did so, it said, because current LNG export authorizations “no longer adequately account for considerations like potential energy cost increases for American consumers and manufacturers beyond current authorizations or the latest assessment of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Other reasons given for the ban were “the perilous impacts of methane on our planet” and to “adequately guard against risks to the health of our communities, especially frontline communities in the United States who disproportionately shoulder the burden of pollution from new export facilities.”

The claims have been disproven by multiple reports, The Center Square has reported.

Zeigler said policies that restrict natural gas infrastructure development like the proposed ban are a threat to Ohio jobs.

“Here in Ohio, one of the leading natural gas-producing regions in the world, the natural gas industry supports tens of thousands of jobs while contributing billions to our state’s economy,” Zeigler said.

He also pointed to a recent Ipsos poll that showed 9 of 10 Americans believe the U.S. should continue to supply natural gas to allies overseas.

Earlier this week, 16 states sued the administration over its proposed ban, saying it violates the Natural Gas Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. The states want the court to grant a preliminary injunction to block it from going into effect.

Also at a hearing last week, federal lawmakers raised concerns over the decision to freeze permits, saying it has major economic and foreign policy implications.